


how the ground held the sky (and didn't let go)

by bearer_of_light



Series: i'll rearrange the stars (pull 'em down to where you are) [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Smut, all that happy shit, oh and everyone hates marcus, smuty fluff, some angst but nothing scary, they are in love and they will remain in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-06-17 18:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15467613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearer_of_light/pseuds/bearer_of_light
Summary: With no job and seemingly no plan, Lexa is about to have an adventure of her life and Clarke tries to find a way to manage the mess that her life is turning out to be. What happens next will melt your hearts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to this little story https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731958/chapters/34054025, but this one will be pretty much self contained (parts of it) so you don't have to read the first part if you don't want to, but I highly encourage you to take some time and go read it, it's not that bad, I promise :)

It was 9 am and Lexa was still in bed. 

“It’s the first day of the rest of your life,” Clarke had told her two hours before. 

“That doesn’t help me very much,” Lexa snuggled closer to Clarke, her head under Clarke’s chin and her arm tightly wrapped around Clarke’s back. That’s how she spent the majority of previous night. With every stroke of Clarke’s hand on her back, the idea of being without a job and future, slowly but surely disappeared, at least for a while. 

“I want you to stop thinking,” Clarke told her at some point earlier that night, “just for tonight, I want you to stop thinking about what happened and what will happen.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Lexa said.

“I know, I can’t even imagine what’s going through your head right now,” Clarke kissed her cheek, “but we can either spend the night talking about it or we can spend the night doing something else and talk about it tomorrow. After you’ve had time to breathe,”Clarke said. “If you ask me, I think you can afford one night of doing nothing.” 

“What did you have in mind?”

“You are so clingy,” Clarke’s giggle brought Lexa back to present. The rumbling in her throat and chest filled Lexa with immeasurable joy. “Tiger in the streets, koala in the sheets,” Clarke kissed the top of her head.

“What did you just say?,” Lexa pulled back a bit and laid her head on the pillow next to Clarke’s.

“Hard on the outside and so soft on the inside,” Clarke brushed her nose over Lexa’s before kissing it softly, “in more ways than one,” she smiled.

“You are lucky I like you.” 

“Mhmm,” Clarke kissed her forehead.

“As much as I don’t want you to leave, I also don’t want you to be late.” 

“I can be late, for once.”

“They’ll say I’m corrupting you.”

“Who is they?”

“I’m sure they knew you are here before I knew you were here.”

“I came here with you.”

“Exactly my point.”

“Fuck them.”

“I’d rather do you.”

Clarke chuckled, “Oh, would you now?” 

Lexa’s hand went down Clarke’s back to her ass. “Yes.”

“I thought you don’t want me to be late?” 

“I don’t, but I wanna have something nice to think about while you’re gone.”

“Oh, so it’s about you?”

“Clarke,” Lexa’s hand moved to grip Clarke’s hip with her thumb going far down Clarke’s navel. “Have I told you how much I love the fact that you tend to sleep naked?”

“I have a shirt on,” Clarke lifted her leg and threw it over Lexa’s body. She got a smile in return.

“Please Clarke, I don’t like to be reminded of tragedies.”

“You can take it off, if you want.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“It’s…,” Clarke had a snarky response but she lost is somewhere between Lexa’s hand going under her shirt and Lexa’s thumb brushing against her nipple.

“It’s?,” Lexa smirked.

“It’s…umm...,” Lexa pulled the hard and swollen nipple between her finger, “yes.” In the short time she spent with Clarke, Lexa learned that Clarke liked to tease, but what she liked more, even though she wouldn’t stop denying it, is to be teased. When Lexa was slow and deliberate with her touches, that’s when Clarke would completely lose it.

“It’s yes?” 

“Stop fucking around.” 

“You want me to stop?,” Lexa lifted her brow.

“Yes.” 

“Okay,” Lexa licked her lips and started to move her hand down Clarke’s stomach. She felt Clarke’s muscles tighten under her fingers. She knew what Clarke wanted, if not by the way her breathing quickened then by the way her hips bucked forward, closer to Lexa with every tiny part of Clarke’s skin that she covered. But instead of giving Clarke what she wanted, what they both wanted, Lexa pulled her hand out of Clare’s shirt and put it back on her hip, much higher than it previously was. 

“Not like that,” Clarke protested.

“I thought you wanted me to stop?,” Lexa teased.

“To stop fucking around,” Clarke said. “We don’t have time for that.”

“Oh, so you don’t want me to stop?”

“Lexa please.”

“I don’t wanna rush it,” Lexa smirked. “We can continue tonight.”

“If you’ve just riled me up like this to do nothing, then you won’t see me tonight.”

“But imagine how fun it would be if you got to go to work and having something nice like that to think about and look forward to.”

“Lexa, I swear to God.”

“You don’t think it’d be fun?”

“I think this,” Clarke put her hand on top of Lexa’s and pulled it between her legs, “is more fun,” she whispered breathless.

Lexa was never as close to losing control as when she heard Clarke moan after her fingers brushed over Clarke’s clit. “Lay on your back,” she said pushing Clarke’s legs slightly apart and settling between them. She took a moment to look at Clarke laying in front of her, her hair all tangled up, her face flushed and her hands gripping the sheets in anticipation of what’s to come. Lexa smiled and ran her hands from Clarke’s calves to her inner thighs before lowering her head and placing soft kisses down her stomach. 

One of Clarke’s hands ended, instinctively, in Lexa’s hair just as Lexa’s tongue went up and down her slit. “Oh God.”

Lexa flicked her tongue over Clarke’s clit. Slow and soft at first and then fast and hard after Clarke’s hips started to rock against her mouth. Lexa ran her hand down Clarke’s thigh and drove first one, then two fingers inside her. 

It wasn’t long before Clarke squeezed her legs around her head and tightened around her fingers. 

Lexa leaned her head on Clarke’s thigh and traced her fingers down her navel then back up the other way until Clarke put her hand on top of hers and pulled her up. Lexa kissed her and then lied down next to her. She turned on her side and rested her hand on Clarke’s neck. Clarke’s eyes were still closed but she smiled when she felt Lexa’s fingers lightly dancing on her neck. “Can all my mornings start like this?,” Lexa asked.

Clarke giggled, “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

“I’m in if you are,” Lexa smiled.

Clarke turned her head sideways. “Do you wanna take a shower with me?”

“You’re starting to be really irresponsible,” Lexa said. “You are already late and you’re asking me to make you even more late.”

“The irresponsible thing would be to go to work smelling like you.”

“You’re gonna smell like me either way,” Lexa smiled.

“Lexa Woods, do you wanna take a shower with me?”

“I do.”

“Then take me now or lose me forever.”

“You, Clarke Griffin, are… something else.”

Clarke jumped out of the bed and started to walk to the bathroom. “Catch me if you can,” she turned around and said.

Lexa got out of the bed and walked after her. She found Clarke’s shirt on the bathroom floor and Clarke already under the shower. She took off her clothes and hugged Clarke from the behind. 

“Missed you,” Clarke turned around and kissed her.

“I’m not a big fan of shower sex,” Lexa said after Clarke’s hands made her way down Lexa’s body.

“Bold of you to assume we are going to have sex,” Clarke smirked, “Besides, you’ve never had shower sex with me.” When Lexa’s hand started to move down between their bodies, Clarke stopped her. “Oh, no no,” she said and pushed Lexa against the wall, “it’s my turn.” She pushed Lexa’s head to the side and started to nibble and suck skin on her neck. Lexa was holding back a moan, but not for too long. Clarke’s hands went down her body and cupped her breasts. “You are so hot,” she whispered in Lexa’s ear. “So hot it’s driving me crazy when I can’t have my hands on you.” 

“Makes two of us,” Lexa managed to say.

Clarke scratched her way down Lexa’s abs and then pushed her legs slightly apart. “Hold onto me,” she said as her fingers ran through Lexa’s wet slit. 

“Oh Clarke, fuck,” Lexa’s head fell back on the wall behind her. 

Clarke moved her fingers around and over Lexa’s clit, then pressed her thumb on it. “You’re driving me crazy.” 

“Please Clarke,” Lexa tangled her hair in Clarke’s hair and pulled her until she was in front of her. “Faster,” she whispered against Clarke’s lips. Even if she wanted, Clarke couldn’t say no to that. She started to rub her thumb over Lexa’s clit, faster and harder. “Don’t stop,” Lexa dug her fingers into Clarke’s back. “Please don’t stop,” she cried out in pleasure. Lexa felt like her knees were about to give her up, but Clarke held her in place. For a second, Lexa blanked out, there was nothing around her but Clarke, Clarke’s skin, Clarke’s hands and Clarke’s mouth.

“That was fast,” Clarke smiled when Lexa opened her eyes.

“Shut up.” 

“What? I liked it,” Clarke kissed the corner of her mouth. “A lot,” she whispered.

Half an hour later, Lexa was standing, leaned on the bedroom doorway and looking at Clarke get ready. “When did I get so lucky?,” she asked when Clarke noticed her staring. “Am I allowed to say that?,” she quickly added.

Clarke put her shoes on and walked up to Lexa. “Are you allowed to say you got lucky?” She put her hands on Lexa’s hips and started to kiss her neck. 

“Am I?”

“Are you sure you wanna call it getting lucky?”

“What would you call it?”

Clarke brought her face in front of Lexa’s. “I’d say you got what you deserved,” she grinned.

“That sounds even worse,” Lexa chuckled. 

“I look good on you.”

“You do?,” Lexa smiled.

“You are frowning less,” Clarke’s finger went down from Lexa’s forehead over her nose, “and smiling more,” then over her lips and down her chin.

“Do you expect me to thank you?” 

“A kiss should be enough.”

“Do you want me to make you skip work?,” Lexa asked when she pulled back from the kiss.

“Imagine the scandal.”

“Leave now or you won’t leave at all.”

“Pushy,” Clarke stepped back. “How do I look?” 

“Like a full course meal.” 

Clarke laughed, “I’m liking this new side to you.” 

“You have no idea what you got yourself into.”

“I can’t wait,” Clarke smiled. “But I do have to go now.”

“My life is so sad,” Lexa pouted.

“Poor baby,” Clarke tucked Lexa’s hair behind her ear. “You’ve been having sex all morning, I feel so bad for you.” 

“I could do it all day, but you’re playing.”

Clarke chuckled, “I’ll see you tonight,” she kissed Lexa one last time. “Don’t miss me too much.”

“I’ll try.”

After Clarke had left, Lexa went back to bed. She didn’t go back to sleep and with Clarke gone she had only one thing to think about. She was without a job and without a clear vision of what she was going to do. It was the first time in as long as she could remember that she felt stuck with seemingly nowhere to go. 

Maybe Anya was right and she shouldn’t have quit out of the impulse and rage Marcus made her feel in that moment, maybe she should have apologized and sucked it up and stayed there. She had a steady income, a part in shaping bits and pieces of the world and maybe it wouldn’t matter that her name wasn’t going to be the one that everyone would know.

But she also knew that life is about more than just being, she knew she wasn’t meant for following.

It was, after all, the first day of the rest of her life and she was going to live up to it.

She got out of the bed, took a shower, made some breakfast and coffee, and after spending a couple of minutes psyching herself up for it, she picked up her phone and called Becca.

* * *

“Who knew Woods was going to be such a bad influence.”

“Good morning to you too Raven.”

As soon as Clarke walked into her office Raven appeared in front of her. “I think this is the first time you’ve been late to something in your entire life,” Raven said, “and it happens to coincide with the first day of your girlfriend having no job.”

Clarke flinched, “Don’t call her that,” she didn’t know what Lexa was or wasn’t but she knew that she didn’t want Raven to be the one to make her that. Clarke sat down at her desk, “And it’s not her fault.” 

“So you got stuck in traffic and not in bed?” 

“This is not the time or place to be discussing that,” Clarke smiled.

“I can be patient and wait, but I had a bet with Anya and I just had to make sure I won.”

“You had a bet with Anya about my… bed sharing activities?”

“What the fuck?,” Raven laughed. “We had a bet if you’re going to show up at all.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I would rather spend the day in bed with… someone than to be here,” Raven said. “You’ve missed a whole bunch of crazy this morning.”

“What happened?,” Clarke frowned.

“Marcus came downstairs and said Lexa was fired and that anyone reporting to her was now going to report to you and if anyone had any questions or complaints about it that they are free to leave,” Raven said. “He also called a meeting with you and Anya.”

“He said he fired her?”

“Yep.”

“He’s…,” Clarke sighed. Some things are better left unsaid. She opened her email and saw the meeting was scheduled for 1 pm. “What does he want from me now.”

“My guess is that Anya will take Lexa’s position and that whatever happened between you three yesterday made him really mad.”

“He brought it onto himself,” Clarke got up, “I’m gonna go talk with Anya.”

Anya’s office door was opened. Clarke knocked and walked in. “Hi,” she said.

“Clarke,” Anya said.

Clarke closed the door and sat in front of Anya. “Do you know what he wants?”

“My guess is he needs someone to fill in Lexa’s shoes.”

“That’s big shoes to fill.”

“I know.” 

“Do you want it?” 

“Do I want the job or do I want to fill in her shoes?” 

“Both.” 

“I like the job, but I don’t think I’m interested in doing everything that she was for someone like him,” Anya said. “And I think he’s crazy if he thinks he’s going to find someone willing to do all that for nothing,” she added. “I’m telling you all this only because… you know. I hope you know that I don’t want this to…”

“I know, I won’t say anything to anyone,” Clarke assured her. “But I don’t think he’s gonna give it all to you. I think he wants to throw it all to me and have you fill the holes that are left after it.”

“He’s crazy if he thinks that’s gonna work.” 

“He’s crazy stop.”

“How is she?,” Anya asked after a couple moments of silence. “I didn’t call because I know you were… there and that she probably needed some space from talking.”

“She’s… fine I guess,” Clarke said. “It’s not the best but she didn’t look like it was bad. She’ll be fine.”

“Of course she will,” Anya smiled.

“What are we going to do?,” Clarke asked.

“I don’t know about you but I’m not going to accept whatever nonsense he’s about to spew out. He can fire me if he wants but I’m not doing the dirty work for him.”

Clarke sighed, “Did he really say he fired her?”

“Yes,” Anya said. “Maybe we should call her and tell her that so she comes and solves our problems for us.”

“She’d kill him,” Clarke chuckled. “Okay then, I’ll see you soon I guess,” Clarke got up.

“Just remember, it’s okay to say no,” Anya said.

On her way back to her office, Clarke glanced at the office that was, up until yesterday, Lexa’s. It was strange to see it dark and empty. It was strange to get to work and not see Lexa there. It was going to be strange to have to work with no Lexa by her side.

It was the one constant since Clarke started working there. Lexa was always there. Early morning and late night. They weren’t always friendly or even nice to each other, sometimes not even close to it, but knowing Lexa was there, helped Clarke get through some of the rough and windy roads she had to cross while working there. 

But now that was gone. Lexa had quit after, the final nail in the coffin being Marcus, their boss, wanting to sneak all the control from and by Lexa to Clarke.

Clarke pulled out her phone and sent a message to Lexa. 

_ It’s strange to be here without you. _

 

Clarke turned around in her chair and looked through the window at the city laying in front of her. One of those buildings was where Lexa’s apartment was.

Phone in her hand rang. It was a message from Lexa. 

 

_ Is that your strange way of saying you miss me? _

 

Clarke smiled.

_ It’s just strange. _

_ What are you up to? _

 

_ I’m in bed. _

_ Still. _

 

_ You decided that’s what your life was going to be from now on? _

 

_ I’m gonna make a living out of sleeping. _

 

_ I hear it’s a lucrative job. _

 

_ Speaking of, don’t you have a job you’re supposed to be doing now? _

 

_ I’m procrastinating. _

 

As soon as she sent the message her phone rang, it was Lexa.

“I got tired of typing,” she said.

“Completely understandable, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Clarke teased her.

“Ha ha, you’re much funnier in person,” Lexa said. “How are things there?”

“Chaotic,” Clarke decided it was best to not go into much more details. “Over there?”

“I’m keeping the bed warm for you,” Clarke’s heart warmed up at the softness of Lexa’s voice. 

“You are so cute.”

“Am I?,” Clarke could hear the smile in Lexa’s words.

“So fucking cute.”

“Thank you, I try really hard.”

“Is that all you’re going to do today?”

“Be cute?”

“Yes,” Clarke chuckled.

“That and I’m waiting for Becca to call me back.”

“You called her?”

“Yes, shortly after you left,” Lexa said. “I thought about it and decided what I wanna do.”

“That didn’t take long,” Clarke said surprised. She wasn’t expecting Lexa to sulk around long, but she also didn’t expect her to be back in the game so fast. “I thought you were going to take it slow.”

“You don’t know me that good, not yet,” Lexa chuckled. “Time you lose is forever lost.”

“I also didn’t realize you were so wise.”

“You’re gonna learn a lot of things you didn’t know about me, Clarke Griffin,” Lexa said. “Did you say hi to Gustus for me?”

“Yes, he said he’s eagerly waiting for that call you promised.”

“Good to know,” Lexa laughed. “So how are things really?”

“How much do you wanna know?”

“That bad?”

“It’s… crazy,” Clarke said. “Anya and I have a meeting with him in a couple of hours.”

“Good luck with that,” Lexa said. “He must be freaking out realized how much shit he needs to do now.”

“General consensus is he’s gonna dump it all on Anya or me.”

“My vote is you, you’re the golden girl.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, “Fuck you.”

“I’m kidding,” Lexa chuckled on the other side.

“Whatever, fuck you,” Clarke shook her head.

“Hope so,” Lexa said.

Someone knocked on Clarke’s door. She quickly turned around and saw it was one of the interns. “I have to go,” she said. “Keep that bed warm for me,” she whispered before hanging up.

Half an hour later, when she was again alone, she saw she had a message from Lexa.

_ I’m gonna keep it at the optimal temperature. You’ll even be able to take off your shirt. _

* * *

“Clarke, Anya, come in, it’s gonna take just a moment,” Marcus said when Anya and Clarke walked into his office. He was on the phone with someone and apparently finishing the call. “I’m really happy we were able to meet in the middle with this Cage. Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll be expecting your call.” Marcus hanged up and smiled at Clarke and Anya. “Big things are on the horizon,” he said. “But there will be time for that. You must be wondering why I called you in,” he leaned back in his chair. “As you both know, as of yesterday Lexa is no longer working with us. I felt like we came to the end of our road and I ended our cooperation. And if you ask me I think we’ll be better off,” he smiled. “I also took a look at all the things that she was in charge of and I came to the conclusion that she, without a better word, hyped it up a bit too much.” Clarke shifted in her chair and looked at Anya sitting next to her. She looked as happy as Clarke was with what they were hearing. “I’ve come up with a plan,” he said. “All the people who worked under her will now be reporting to you Clarke,” he looked at her, “you will also take on half of the clients and you Anya will take the other half. It might look like a much bigger workload, but trust me it’s not…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt but I disagree. I’ve worked closely with Lexa all these years and the amount of things that she was responsible for was not as insignificant as you make it look,” Anya said.

“I understand why you’d think that…”

“I don’t think that, I know that.”

“I’m also not really comfortable with having that many things to do, especially not overnight and especially since it was never supposed to be a part of my job,” Clarke added.

“I’m not in the mood to argue, with either of you,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?,” Anya crossed her arms.

“It means that’s going to be a part of your job from now on.”

“We don’t get a say in it?,” Anya asked.

“No.”

If Clarke knew anything about Anya then she knew Anya was not going to sit there and listen, or accept, the things that Marcus was saying. “Then I’m going to call Indra and have you and her draft a new contract for Anya and me or…,” she said before Marcus interrupted her.

“You are swimming in dangerous waters, Clarke.”

“I don’t care,” she said. “You can’t dump all that to two people that have never done something like that or that big. Why don’t you do it if it’s not such a big deal?”

Marcus looked at her then at Anya, then back at her. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you Clarke but I don’t do well with threats.”

“I’m not threatening you, I’m doing things that got me a job here, things for which you asked me to come here. Neither of us is stupid and we won’t agree to things that we know are not as you present them, and I’m sure I speak for both of us,” she looked at Anya.

“Marcus,” Anya said. “I know that you are not happy that she left, but you can’t expect us to do our jobs and all the things that she did. It’s not reasonable.”

“What do you suggest I do then?”

“Find someone else, rearrange things, do something else,” Anya said. “But I’m not doing Lexa’s job on top of my own.”

“Neither am I,” Clarke added.

Marcus turned his head to the side and looked at the wall to his right. He looked far from happy. As a matter of fact, Clarke had never seen him look like that. “Anya you can leave, Clarke you stay for a another minute.”

“Am I fired?,” Anya asked when she got up.

“No,” he said and waited for Anya to leave the office before he turned to Clarke. “I need you to call Becca and make sure she knows that if she signs with anyone else, we are going to make her life a living hell.”

“What?,” Clarke looked at him in shock.

“That is a part of your job.”

“Why are you asking me to do that?”

“If she’s not going to make business with us then she needs to know that she won’t make it with anyone.”

“But there’s no need to do that, she wasn’t interested in doing it with anyone other than…”

“I will take care of Lexa and you will take care of Becca. Is that clear?”

“Yes.”

* * *

When Lexa heard the doorbell ring, she knew it was Clarke. She opened the door with a smile on her face. “Hi… what’s wrong?,” she asked when she saw Clarke’s face.

“Hey,” Clarke walked in and before she could say anything else, Lexa had wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. 

“You look like I should be looking,” Lexa said when she pulled back. “What happened?”

“It’s a mad house over there,” Clarke sighed.

“Do you wanna talk about it?,” Lexa cupped Clarke’s face with her hand.

“Do you?”

“If it’s gonna make you feel better,” she ran her thumb over Clarke’s cheek.

“He told me to call Becca,” Clarke said, “and threaten her,” Clarke buried her head into Lexa’s neck. “I couldn’t do it.”

“I’m sorry,” Lexa kissed her forehead. 

“I’m just tired,” Clarke sighed. “The day has been much longer than I thought it’d be.”

“You went home before coming here?,” Lexa asked when she saw the bag next to Clarke.

“I went to pick up some things,” she said. “I assumed I was going to spend the night but now that I think about it you’ve never asked me to.” 

“Why do you think I kept the bed warm then?,” Lexa smiled.

“Did you?”

“Wanna go and see for yourself?”

“Yes,” Clarke whispered. “But I’d like to eat something first, I’m starving.”

“I thought I’d have my dessert first,” Lexa smirked.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait this time.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“Anya I’m gonna be late for the meeting.”

“You will not,” Anya said through the phone. “When can I follow your lead?”

“When I have money to pay you.”

“That can be never.”

“It’s not gonna be never,” Lexa sighed. “Why are you so hell bent on leaving anyway? You were happy when I was there.”

“Or I looked happy.”

“I’m pretty sure you had no intention to leave.” Lexa was leaned on the wall across the restaurant where, in a couple of minutes, she had a meeting with Becca.

“There’s a big difference now,” Anya said. “You were here and he wasn’t this crazy. Honestly, the stuff he is doing and saying is gonna make everyone want to leave.”

“I’m not gonna do anything until I have a solid ground to build upon.”

“I’m just asking you to give me a timeline.”

“A month.”

“I can work with that.”

Lexa turned off her phone, put it in her pocket and crossed the street to the restaurant. Becca was already there.

“Thank you for meeting with me, I know the past couple of weeks have not been what you thought they’d be, it sure didn’t turn out how I expected it,” 

“I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed but I’m not far from it.”

“I know and I apologize. I never thought something like that was gonna happen,” Lexa said.

“It’s alright, I know it wasn’t your fault,” Becca said, “but I can’t but feel… something since it was you who told me how great I’d feel if I joined you, and now you left.”

“Yes, if I were you I doubt I’d ever give me another chance.”

“Luckily for you, we’re not that alike.”

“But we are not far from it,” Lexa smiled.

“So?”

“I have a plan.”

“Already?”

“I don’t waste time,” Lexa said. “It’s also not in character for me to just sit around sulking.”

“And I guess I have a place in your plan?”

“I honestly believe in what you’re doing and I think you and I can take it to places where no has ever been…”

“Lexa, you don’t have to sell anything to me.”

“I’m not selling anything,” Lexa said. “I have reached to some of the people whose money is Marcus wasting, people I brought to Marcus and people who were there because of the things I did for them. Almost all of them have no interest in staying there.”

“They are willing to go into unknown with you?”

“That’s where you come in.”

“How?”

“It’s not unknown if I have you standing next to me,” Lexa said. “I can sell them that.”

“And they can just leave Marcus?”

“They can sell their shares and invest in you.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

“Enough that with their money, my connections and your vision we can have a full working prototype in a years.”

“That’s ambitious,” Becca chuckled.

Lexa smiled, “You’ve looked into me, you know how I work and then you also know that I don’t say things that I can’t make happen.”

“What about Marcus?”

“What about him?”

“He doesn’t seem like the type to just sit around and watch us do all that and he’ll still have more money.”

“Don’t worry about Marcus, I can handle him.”

“I don’t doubt that but…”

“I know him and I know how he thinks and works and I can…”

“But you didn’t know he was going to try to push you to the side.”

“I wasn’t paying attention but I am now and something like that will never happen again, I assure you.”

Becca was silent for a moment or two, she looked closely at Lexa and then nodded, “If we are going to do this then we have to be partners,” she said. “I’ve built everything from the ground and I was alone and if I’m letting you in then you have to give me your word that you won’t do anything behind my back, no matter how good your intentions are and what you think that you’d accomplish with it. We work together and we succeed or fail together.”

“I give you my word.”

“Then let’s rule the world.”

* * *

“How did it go?,” Clarke asked as soon as Lexa walked in.

“It’s a go.”

Clarke smiled and hugged her. “Told you so.”

“Really?,” Lexa ran her hands up and down Clarke’s sides.

“Yes, I knew because you are a hard person to say no to.”

“There’s still room for one more if you…”

“No,” Clarke chuckled and kissed her. “What about money men?”

“I’m meeting with them tomorrow but they’ll say yes, I have no doubts about that.”

They walked to the kitchen and Clarke poured them both a glass of wine. “Marcus is gonna be pissed.”

“I know, and I don’t care.”

“I know you don’t, you won’t be the one that has to deal with all that.”

“Maybe he surprises us both.”

“Or maybe after tomorrow we’ll be on different sides of a war.”

“If that happens I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes.”

“Oh is that so?”

“Yes, I can be quite ruthless.”

“So can I.”

“No, you can be feisty.”

“How dare you?,” Clarke feigned shock. “But he will go after you, we both know that.”

“And that will be the biggest mistake of his life,” Lexa said. “He’s never had me working against him. I’m not the enemy he wants to have.”

“He’ll put me up against you.”

“I won’t be gentle if he does that,” Lexa bit her lip. “It will say a lot about him if he sends you to fight his battles.”

“It’s gonna be Anya and I.”

“Maybe he surprises us all.”

“I won’t play nice either,” Clarke said. “This here in these four walls is one thing, but out there, my job is going to be to do better than you and to beat you at whatever cost.”

“Give it your best shot,” Lexa smiled. “I promise I won’t miss mine.”

“Is that a threat?,” Clarke lifted her brow. 

Lexa put her glass on the counter then did the same with Clarke’s, “Do you want it to be?”

“I’d rather make love.”

“I’m so glad you said that.”

“So no threats?,” Clarke put her hands to Lexa’s hips.

“I can make it happen, if you’re into that,” Lexa smirked.

“If I’m into it?”

“Yes, we are still learning things about each other.”

“You think I’d be into that?,” Clarke tilted her head.

“I doubt,” Lexa chuckled. “Fighting on the other hand. Things got pretty heated last time we fought.”

“Trust me, you don’t wanna fight with me.”

“You don’t know if you don’t try.”

“You can try, but I promise you won’t get lucky.”

“We’re talking too much.”

“Then do something about it.”

* * *

“A heads up would’ve been nice,” Raven was waiting for Clarke in her office when she came to work the next morning.

“Jesus Christ Raven, you’ve scared the shit out of me,” Clarke said before closing the door behind her.

“I should’ve done much worse,” Raven glared at her.

“What’s going on?,” Clarke put her bag on the desk and sat down. Raven looked angry.

“You should’ve said something about Lexa going rogue with Becca.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well Marcus came downstairs earlier this morning, and considering the fact that you’ve started to come this late in since your thing with Lexa started, he couldn’t find you so he yelled at me,” Raven said. “Apparently I had to know about it because Lexa is friends with Anya and it looks like it’s a common knowledge that we are together. You are lucky he doesn’t know you are sleeping with the enemy.”

“He yelled at you?”

“Yeah,” Raven said. “And if I were you, I’d expect him to be here any minute, or to call me upstairs for another round of yelling. Or maybe he won’t yell at you, but he will yell about Lexa,” she added. “I suggest you act surprised.”

Clarke sighed, “Thanks for the heads up.”

“Clarke,” just like Raven had said not a minute before, Marcus was in her office. “Do you have a minute?”

“I’m gonna leave you to it,” Raven got up and left.

“What can I do for you?,” Clarke pretended she didn’t know what he was about to tell her.

“I assume you already know,” he sat in the same chair Raven was sitting.

“About Lexa?,” Clarke asked.

“The nerve she has,” he sounded angrier than he looked. “How can she do that and not expect me to…,” he looked to the side, then turned back to Clarke, “do you have a plan?”

“A plan?”

“Yes, have you thought about what we could do in case something like this happened?”

“No,” Clarke frowned. “Was I supposed to?”

“I have something, a contingency in case something like this happened. I never thought she’d be ungrateful enough to do something like this and this early. Instead of being thankful and staying away she does something like this.”

“I don’t think this was a shot at you.” Clarke knew it had nothing to do with him, but he acted as if the whole world revolved around him. 

“Of course it was. She doesn’t care about Becca, she only wants to get back to me. And for what? For giving her a chance when no one else wanted to,” he said.

“I think you might be taking this a bit too personal. Lexa is just trying to make a living.”

“Personal? She’s doing much more than trying to make a living. You don’t know her as I do,” he looked at her. “I gave her everything and this is how she repays me? If I had known she was this hungry for power I would have never given her a chance.”

“From what I know, I think she just believes in what Becca has and…”

“I don’t care what she believes and doesn’t believe. I will not sit around and watch as she steals my money.”

“I don’t…”

“Clarke,” he got up. “Don’t let her fool you. As you can see, she is not someone you can trust.”

“I don’t think you’re right.”

“You don’t have to think, you only have to look at the evidence.”

“Marcus…”

“Be in my office in fifteen minutes. We have a meeting with a new client.”

He left Clarke’s office in same hurry he got in. “A new client,” Clarke let out a long breath into her now empty office. She turned her head to the side and looked at the wall that was once separating her from Lexa. Now it’s an empty space on the other side. A lot had changed in two weeks. It was a different time in Clarke’s life and Marcus wasn’t giving her any time to adjust to the silence that was making its way through the wall. 

Lexa must had surprised him because Clarke had never seen Marcus act like that. He was angry and bitter and certainly didn’t waste any time. Ten minutes of the fifteen that her gave her had already passed when she closed the door of her office. On her way to the elevator she first stopped in front of the office next door.

“What are you doing?,” she asked a couple of interns she saw inside.

“Mr Kane told us to sort through documents.” Clarke doubted she’d ever get used to not seeing Lexa behind that desk. 

Her next stop was in front of Anya’s office. “Do you know who is our new client?,” she asked from the door.

“New client?,” Anya looked up from computer screen.

“I have a meeting with Marcus and someone in five minutes.”

“I have no idea,” Anya said. “But good luck, I feel like you’re gonna need it,” she chuckled.

“What I don’t understand is why you are not invited.”

“He probably thinks I’m a spy,” Anya chuckled.

“He has more than one of those.”

“But he knows only about one.”

Clarke looked at her phone. Two more minutes. “Wish me luck.”

When she got to Marcus’ office there was a big guy in black suit, sunglasses and earpiece standing in front of the door. He couldn’t be nothing other but a security, which meant whoever was their next client was a big fish. 

She knocked and opened the door. Inside she saw Marcus and a man whose picture she saw many times on TV. Cage Wallace.

“Clarke,” Marcus smiled. “Meet Cage Wallace.”

“Cage, this is the future of this company, Clarke Griffin.”

“Abby Griffin’s daughter?,” he looked surprised. 

“Yes,” Clarke smiled politely.

“Pleasure to meet you, Clarke.”

“Likewise Mr Wallace.”

“Please call me Cage, we’re gonna spend a lot of time together.”

There was something about him that sounded all the alarms in Clarke’s head. Maybe it was a security in front of the door, or the visibly expensive suit he was wearing or maybe even just his face. She didn’t like him. “Nice to meet you Cage,” she said. “I must say I don’t know much about what our business will be.”

“Many things,” Marcus smiled. “I haven’t told Clarke all the details yet,” he said and showed them to their seats. “There will be time for that. I’ve called this meeting so we could all sit down, meet each other and talk.”

“If you don’t mind me asking but what will be the main point?”

“Enhanced virtual reality,” Cage said. “Marcus told me you’ve tried to do business with A.L.I.E, but that technology is years behind us,” he smirked.

“I thought there was nothing similar to that on the market, at least not currently.”

“That’s what Lexa made us believe,” Marcus said. “Lexa is a former employee who tried to run the company to the ground with reckless behavior and promises that had no base in reality.”

“I’m sorry but since when do you have that kind of tech?,” Clarke asked Cage.

“Months.”

“Months?,” Clarke furrowed her brows. She knew he was lying. No one would sit on something like that for that long. And they certainly wouldn’t emerge over night with decision to go public. “Why has no one heard about it?”

“I keep tight ranks.”

“Still, we would’ve heard something,” Clarke said.

“Why does it matter?,” he suddenly changed his tone. “We have it and we are close to having a finished product ready to be sold. And we offer something that A.L.I.E will never be able to offer,” he said.

“A merge.”

Clarke looked at Marcus, sitting and quietly listening with a smile on his face. “Merge?,” she looked back at Cage.

“A piece of tech that is going to be able to be implanted into a human brain. Symbiosis if you will,” Cage said. “We will begin with trials soon.”

“You plan to put it inside people’s heads?”

“Yes,” he smiled. “Great things could come out of it.”

* * *

Clarke needed a break. She needed time with someone who was as far from her job and everything around it as possible. She needed someone to talk to or even better to not talk at all. Someone who wasn’t Lexa or Raven. Bellamy wouldn’t understand and Octavia wouldn’t have the necessary patience. So she called her mom and asked if she wanted to go to dinner. Abby was surprised, usually she was the one to call and remind Clarke about their dinner plans. But this time Clarke had other plans. She hoped she’d be able to just sit and listen to her mom talk to no end if necessary, to preoccupy her brain with something other than work and work related problems that kept piling up. 

But as soon as they sat down and ordered the food, Clarke’s thoughts drifted away. It was a first time since everything went to shit that she had time for her own thoughts.

“Clarke?,” Abby stopped talking when she noticed Clarke wasn’t listening to her. “Clarke?,” she called her again.

“Hm?”

“Are you listening to me?”

“I am,” Clarke sighed.

“What’s the matter?,” Abby asked.

“Nothing.”

“It is something,” she frowned. “Tell me.”

“I’m telling you it’s nothing.”

“You seem more distracted than usual.”

“It’s been a long day.”

“At work?”

“It’s been hell at work.”

“Okay, tell me what’s wrong,” Abby said. “Is he pushing you too hard?”

“It’s not that,” Clarke had two options. Say something or nothing. “Lexa quit.”

“What?”

“Lexa quit.”

“When? Why?,” her mother was surprised. “Marcus hadn’t said anything. She found a better job, or?”

“No, she quit because he didn’t leave her any other option.”

“What do you mean?”

“She brought in a potential new client, someone who could’ve been very good for the company and everyone involved. This person came in thinking she’d be working with Lexa, when needed with me and that Marcus was going to be a silent observer,” Clarke sighed. “But Marcus had other plans. He wanted to put me in charge of everything, put Lexa to second or third place. The woman said no to that, he and Lexa got in a huge fight and it all ended with Lexa quitting.”

“She quit because of one fight?”

“It was a lot more than that. That fight was just the tipping point.”

“They had problems? Neither of them never said or looked like something was wrong.”

“Did you know that I got her job?”

“What do you mean?,” Abby frowned.

“The job he gave me,” Clarke said. 

“He did what?”

“He promised it to her. And then kept promising a lot of different things and always kept it at promises.”

“He told me he had no one in mind for that job, that’s why I suggested you,” Abby said. “If I had known, I would have never done that. Lexa must hate me.”

“She doesn’t,” Clarke shook her head. “But she hates him. And he hates her.”

“He hates her? For what? Quitting?”

“He’s acting like a crazy person. He’s going around telling everyone he fired her.”

“He’s doing what? I’m gonna kill him.”

“Don’t do anything. Please,” Clarke said.

“I can’t believe him.”

“And the worst thing is that he’s now looking to get into business with Cage Wallace.”

“Cage Wallace?,” Abby said. “He’s out of his mind. That man is the worst thing that could’ve happened to this planet.”

“Marcus seems to be blinded with his desire to ruin Lexa’s life.”

“Because she quit?”

“And took some of the shareholders with her and that potential client.”

“Good for her,” Abby said. “He’s even crazier if he thinks he could do anything to stop her because that girl is a force of nature and he’s an idiot for letting her go.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

* * *

It was the first quiet day Clarke had had since Lexa left. There were no meetings, no Marcus and no stress, Clarke spent the day catching up with the work she was supposed to do days before. It was the first day she was early at work and the first day she was back on her usual routine. It felt good and what made it even better was the fact that she had a date with Lexa later that night. 

Lexa had suggested it. Lexa was even the one who sent her off early to work. 

“You should probably get back into your normal work day groove,” she told her that morning in bed.

“You think?,” Clarke yawned.

“I’ve never seen you yawn as much as these past couple of days,” Lexa chuckled. “It will be good for at least one of us to get back to normal.”

“When did you go to bed last night?,” Clarke asked.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Then I’ll go and you promise to sleep in. At least till 8.”

“Only you would consider sleeping till 8 sleeping late.”

“Do it for me, please,” Clarke cuddled into Lexa’s chest.

“When you put it like that…”

And Lexa was right. Getting back to a new version of old normal was good for her. 

Later that day when she got out of the office and out of the building, she found Lexa talking with Gustus at the front door.

“You’re in enemy territory,” Clarke said when Lexa smiled at her.

“I’m with friends,” Lexa grinned. “Can I kiss you?,” she whispered when Clarke got closer.

“Can she kiss me Gustus?,” Clarke smiled.

“Are you the enemy?,” Gustus said.

“Never,” Clarke put her hand around Lexa’s wrist.

“I’m gonna kiss you then,” Lexa leaned and softly kissed her.

“We gotta go,” Clarke said.

“We gotta go,” Lexa turned to Gustus. “It was nice to see you Gustus.”

“I’m still waiting for that call,” he said.

“Soon,” Lexa smiled. “So, how was your day?,” Lexa asked when they got into a cab.

“I thought we are not gonna share work secrets,” Clarke said.

“I wasn’t asking about Marcus’ secrets,” Lexa chuckled. “That I don’t wanna know. I was asking about your day.”

“Quiet.”

“Your day was quiet?”

“Yes,” Clarke laughed. “It was better than yesterday.”

“Then that’s all that matters,” Lexa kissed the side of Clarke’s head. “Tomorrow will be better than today.”

“How was your day?,” Clarke leaned her head on Lexa’s shoulder.

“Busy.”

“Do we want one even more busy tomorrow?”

“God yes.”

“Is everything okay so far?”

“More than.”

“You know I wanna know about…”

“I know, but you are still working there and if I don’t tell you every little detail of my plan to rule the world then you won’t be conflicted when he asks you something, or wants you to do something.”

“Okay, okay,” Clarke laughed. “But you can tell me more than one word.”

“I will, but tonight is not about work.”

“And what is tonight about?”

“About you and me,” Lexa smiled.

And it was just that. They spent the first part of dinner talking about life before, Clarke about her father and childhood and Lexa about the bumpy road she took to get where she was. 

“This was really nice,” Clarke said with a glass of wine in front of her. The restaurant was almost empty besides them and a couple of other people.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“We should do it more often.”

“As far as I’m concerned, we can do it every day.”

Lexa chuckled, “What about once a week?”

“That’s not bad either,” Clarke smiled.

“Lexa,” a woman Clarke didn’t know walked to their table and put her hand on Lexa’s shoulder. “I wasn’t sure it was you. It’s so nice to see you,” she smiled. “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner but I had to say hello.”

“Luna, this is a surprise,” Lexa pulled her chair out, got up and hugged the woman standing next to her. “It’s been a while.”

“I’d say a year,” the woman said. “Are you still at Arkadia?”

“As of recent, no.”

“No?,” the woman looked surprised.

“We got to the end of the road.” Clarke couldn’t decipher what the woman was to Lexa. They looked like friends. Then Lexa remember Clarke was there. “We are rude, I’m sorry,” she looked at her and smiled. “Luna, this is my girlfriend Clarke, Clarke this is an old friend of mine, Luna.” All that Clarke had heard was her name and girlfriend in the same sentence. It was the first time either of them said it outloud.

“Nice to meet you Clarke,” Luna’s voice reminded her she was supposed to smile.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“I’m gonna leave you now to enjoy your dinner, don’t be such a stranger, please,” she said to Lexa before she left.

“Are you okay?,” Lexa asked after she was back in her chair.

“Yes, why?,” Clarke tried to smile. 

Lexa chuckled and put her hand over Clarke’s, “I thought I didn’t have to ask you,” she smiled softly.

“Ask me what?”

“To be my girlfriend.”

Clarke looked away, “No, I mean…”

“You’re blushing,” Lexa smiled. “Do you want me to ask you?”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not,” Lexa said. “Clarke Griffin. Do you wanna be my girlfriend?”

“I do.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter one this time, just to get things going again. Hope you like it!

Lexa’s office had the biggest window on the whole floor. It was on the east side and when she tried really hard she could even see her building. 

“Is it better than the last one?”

“You can’t even imagine.”

“But it’s less fancy.”

Lexa turned around when she heard Becca’s footsteps on the hardwood floor stop. “But it’s ours,” she sat in her chair and smiled.

It had been a month since the start of their journey. Partnership as Becca liked to call it. Those investors Lexa managed to sway from under Marcus’ fingers payed off and payed. Not much but enough to rent space on cheaper side of the city and survive the next couple of months. That’s the time that Becca projected was going to take them before they were going to have a semi finished product, one that could be good enough to show off. 

Lexa, Becca and a couple of freelancers, working with Becca since the beginning, had spent the last month working almost day and night. 

“Weren’t you supposed to be having dinner with Clarke tonight?”

“I find it concerning that you know my schedule.”

“I hope you didn’t cancel it.”

“She understands…”

“Lexa I swear to God, even though you are stronger I’m gonna beat you up if you say you did.”

Lexa chuckled, “I didn’t, she’s gonna come here. She wants to see the place.”

“That’s corporate espionage.”

“Oh fuck off.”

“Well it’s not not true,” Becca smiled. “Does her boss know where she’s gonna be?”

“I kinda doubt he knows what she does with her free time.”

“Then he’s a bad boss.”

“Like that’s news.”

“But seriously, does he know about you two?”

“No.”

“He will find out, eventually.”

“I hope I’m gonna be there when he does.”

“Knock knock,” it was Clarke on the door with a bag of takeout in her hand. “I’d knock for real but there’s no door.”

“How did you get in?,” Becca looked at her in surprise.

“I asked the guy downstairs about two chicks who moved in today,” Clarke said.

“We’re gonna need a better security,” Becca shook her head. 

“Or any at all,” Clarke smiled and kissed Lexa’s cheek. She put the food on an empty desk in front of her. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hey,” Lexa smiled at her.

“I’m gonna leave you to it but don’t forget there are still people here,” Becca waved as she left Lexa’s office.

Lexa pushed the bags further back and sat on the desk. She wrapped her legs around Clarke’s waist and her hands around Clarke’s neck. “You’re pretty,” Lexa leaned her head and placed soft kisses along Clarke’s jaw. “You smell really nice.” Soft moan escaped Clarke’s mouth as Lexa’s mouth got to her neck. Clarke dragged her hands up Lexa’s thighs over her stomach. “What are you doing?,” Lexa whispered. 

“Touching you,” Clarke said as she cupped Lexa’s boobs. 

Lexa’s fingers dug into the back of Clarke’s neck when Clarke pulled two of her fingers together and pinched Lexa’s nipple. “I know that.”

“Then what’s confusing you?,” Clarke smirked.

“I don’t have doors,” Lexa said but pulled Clarke closed.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes,” Clarke hands went under Lexa’s shirt and up to her back. When she unhooked Lexa’s bra, her hands were back on Lexa’s front. “You’ve had a long day.” She gave a soft squeeze to Lexa’s boobs and got a moan in return. “I wanna make you feel good,” Clarke’s left hand went down to Lexa’s pants.

“Clarke,” Lexa grabbed Clarke’s hands before she could unzip Lexa’s pants. 

“If you don’t want I won’t,” Clarke settled both her hands on Lexa’s hips.

“It’s not that. I just don’t want someone to walk in on us.”

“You mean you don’t want them to see their boss begging for mercy?,” Clarke lifted her brow.

“Very funny Clarke.”

“It is because it’s true.”

Lexa pushed her back and got off the desk. She reached under her shirt and hooked her bra back on. “I’m gonna give you a tour now,” she fixed her hair. “How do I look?”

“Like you’re not getting off any time soon.”

* * *

Clarke’s day wasn’t one of the better ones. She got to work way too early, she barely managed to escape from Lexa’s arms. Lexa got home late that day, or night. That was something that was happening a lot lately. Some days she’d get to bed so late that Clarke didn’t even hear her come home. Other days Clarke stayed up and up and up and managed to be up when Lexa got back.

On most days she’d be out of bed before Clarke even opened her eyes. 

And it’s not like Clarke had something against it. She’d never be that person. But she had a key to a place that was empty most of the times and that had so much of Lexa but not enough of her. 

She got the key a couple of weeks into the official relationship. She didn’t ask for it, but Lexa got so busy so fast that Clarke having the key was the only way they’d see each other. 

Clarke’s day wasn’t the best but she hoped it’d get better. Lexa was supposed to pick her up and Clarke was promised a night with no phones and no calls and no distractions.

But she was sitting in her office, way later than Lexa promised to call, waiting for a call that she knew was probably gonna take some more time, looking at the key on her desk.

“You’re still here? I thought you left a long time ago.” Raven was passing by her office when she saw Clarke still sitting there.

“I’m waiting.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Not really, I don’t think so,” Clarke sighed. “No.”

“That’s not convincing,” Raven said. “I thought things are great.”

“They are, when we see each other.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like  _ that. _ ”

“Oh is for ‘oh, that, I know that’, not ‘oh, you’re just being selfish’.”

“I’m not complaining, it’s just… harder than it was.”

“How is she holding up?”

“She sleeps 4 hours a day and works the other 20.”

“That won’t last forever.”

“I know, I’m just being whiny, I guess.”

“No, you just need to tell your girlfriend you miss her.”

“Maybe.” Clarke’s phone rang. It was Lexa. “I gotta take this,” she said to Raven.

“Don’t forget to tell her,” Raven smiled before she left.

“I’m so sorry,” was the first thing Lexa said. “Please forgive me.”

“Are you done for the day?” Silence on the other side. “Lexa, you promised.”

“I know baby,” Lexa’s voice was soft. “Another hour and I’m all yours.”

“Is that hour gonna turn to four?”

“No,” Lexa sounded tired.

“Do you want me to wait for you at your place?”

“I wouldn’t hate that.”

“Please don’t turn it into more than an hour.”

“I won’t,” Lexa assured her. “And Clarke?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t wait to kiss you.”

Lexa wasn’t late. She was home 15 minutes earlier than she said she’d be. 

“I like having you here,” she whispered into Clarke’s hair.

“You’d like it even more if you were here with me.”

“Ouch,” Lexa chuckled. “But I admit I deserved it.”

“You sure did.”

“How was your day?,” she kissed Clarke’s forehead.

“Exhausting.”

“Same.”

“Can I exhaust you some more?” Clarke pulled Lexa’s shirt over her head and threw it on the floor.

“Please.”

* * *

“I can’t handle this shit anymore.”

“Anya?” Lexa’s tone was questioning one even though she knew who was calling her. But it was 2 pm on a work day and Anya never did that.

“I can’t deal with him anymore, I think I’m gonna quit.”

“Slow down, okay? Where are you?”

“Bar across the street.”

“I’m nearby, I’ll be there in ten minutes, don’t do something stupid.”

When she got there, Lexa saw Anya sitting at the far corner of the bar, in the dark, alone, with a glass of brownish liquid in front of her. “What happened?,” she asked when she sat next to her.

“He is completely fucking crazy.”

“Kane?”

“I can’t handle it anymore,” Anya sighed. “It’s gotten so much worse ever since you’ve left.”

“What happened now?”

“I fucked up,” Anya buried her face in her hands. 

“You fucked up?”

“Major.”

“I’ve known you for a very long time and…”

“And yeah, I fucked up,” she shook her head. “I had so much shit to do and he kept pouring more shit, one that you left behind, even though I said I wouldn’t do it, but he just kept going and I kept trying to make everything work and I fucked up. I fucked up so bad that Jaha left, he said he will never again do business with us.”

“It’s not your fault if he kept…”

“But it is my fault,” Anya raised her head. She looked tired, too tired. “He keeps doing it to Clarke too, even worse but she hasn’t fucked up like I have.” 

Lexa frowned, Clarke never told her anything about it, just that work is busy and that there’s a lot to do. But then again it was a while since she talked with Clarke for more than ten minutes. Clarke had spent the past couple of weeks listening to her complain and celebrate and talk to no end, without ever saying more than that things were a bit hard. The thought alone made Lexa’s stomach turn. “Still, it’s not your fault he doesn’t know how to manage his own people,” she turned her attention back to Anya.   
“But I fucked up.”

“You look tired,” Lexa knew Anya didn’t want her pitty, so she took the long way around.

“That’s because I am. He is running us and that place to the ground and then back up and back down and it’s chaos every day and it’s getting worse.”

“I’m sorry,” Lexa was sorry, she hated seeing her friend like that. She never saw Anya like that.

“I’m gonna quit, I can’t do this shit anymore.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“No but I don’t think I’m gonna have trouble finding something better or less stressful, or anything really.”

“I have an empty office and marketing spot open.” 

Anya frowned. “What?”

“We are not doing that bad and we can afford and frankly need someone to push things a bit. I’m all over the place and I don’t have time to sit down, let alone work on anything like that. If you want it, it’s yours.”

“You are offering me a job?”

“If you want it.”

“You can afford that.”

Lexa chuckled, “I thought you knew me,” she said. “I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t.”

“Then yes, I want it.”

* * *

“No,” Clarke murmured into Lexa’s hair as she trapped her legs and upper body between her own legs and arms. “You’re not leaving.”

Lexa loved how clingy Clarke got late at night and early in the morning. “You know I have to.”

“No.” Lexa tried to turn around, face Clarke, but her grip was so hard that the only thing she could do is laugh. “It’s not funny.”

“Can I turn around at least?”

“You can.”

Clarke loosened her arms and legs, just enough for Lexa to turn around. “Clarke?”

“I don’t want you to go,” Clarke had her eyes closed, her leg over Lexa’s and her hand on Lexa’s back.

“I promise I’ll be back early.”

“That’s what you said yesterday.” Clarke finally opened her eyes, she pulled her leg away from Lexa’s and turned to lie on her back.

“C’mon babe.” Lexa ran her fingers up and down Clarke’s arm.

“Don’t babe me,” Clarke sighed. “This is the fourth weekend I’m not gonna see you.”

“You see me now.”

“Lexa, that’s not what I mean and you know it.”

“I can’t drop everything just because…” Lexa stopped talking when Clarke’s eyes shot up at her.

“Go on, finish that sentence.”

“I’m not gonna fight you and I’m also not gonna be late.”

“I’m not gonna be here when you get back.”

“What?”

“I won’t be here when you get back, whenever that is.”

“Why are you doing this now?”

“Lexa I’m not doing anything. I just don’t wanna spend another day in your apartment waiting for you to not come when you said you would.”

“I’m not gonna fight.” Lexa got up and walked to the closet then to the bathroom. When she got back to the bedroom she saw Clarke fully dressed standing in front of her. “Clarke why are you doing this now?”

“That’s the thing Lexa, I’m not doing what you think I am.” There was a shadow of hurt in Clarke’s eyes. “I just miss you and I can’t be here, alone, anymore. That’s all.”

“Clarke c’mon,” Lexa took the couple of steps that were between her and Clarke, “you know I have a lot of things to do.”

“I know you’ve lately had trouble finding time for me. And I know I haven’t been asking for too much. One day where I can have you just for me is not much, at least I think it’s not.”

“We went for dinner on Friday.”

“You’ve spent half the time on your phone.”

“I can’t drop…”

“Everything for me, yes I know and I’m not asking you to do that. I know how important this is to you and how hard you work for it and how much you want it to work out. And I want you to work hard and there are no words to describe how proud I am of you Lexa. You’ve done so much in so little time. It’s amazing,” Clarke said. “But I miss you Lexa. Don’t you miss me too?”

“Of course I do,” Lexa cupped Clarke’s face with her hand. “This is not gonna last forever, just another week or so and then things are gonna go back to normal.”

“I know it’s not gonna last forever but if you can’t find time for me that’s not late night or early morning then it makes me think if I’m even among your top 50 priorities right now.”

“Clarke that’s not fair.”

“I’m allowed to have feelings and opinions am I not?”

“Clar-”

“This is not me attacking you or telling you to do this or that. It’s just me missing you so much that sometimes it hurts.”

“I hope you’ll have a good day,” Clarke tucked a piece of hair behind Lexa’s ear and kissed her cheek. “Text me when you get home.”

“Wait,” Lexa grabbed Clarke’s hand. “Stop.”

“What?,” Clarke turned around.

“You can’t possibly think I wouldn’t rather be here with you? Or that I don’t miss you?,” Lexa said. “Becca put her life’s work practically in my hands based on my words to take care of it, I can’t just put her on hold. Things are gonna be like this only until things start to run more efficiently…”

“Lexa I know, you don’t have to give me excuses, I know what’s on the line, I know everything, that’s why I’m not... just…”

Clarke looked like she was about to cry. “I’m sorry, I’m an idiot,” Lexa sighed. “I’m gonna stay home today.” 

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to.” Lexa leaned her forehead on Clarke’s, her hands Clarke’s hips. “I’m gonna make you coffee and breakfast and I’m gonna give you everything you need and want, because you deserve more than just a couple of hours and a lot more than what I’ve been giving you lately,” Lexa caresed Clarke’s face. “That’s gonna change,” Lexa said. “And if I get lost again, slap me, or something,” she smiled.

Clarke chuckled, “Okay, but I don’t need coffee or breakfast, just you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue heavy.   
> Some things happen, some will in a very near future.

Lexa was on her way to yet another meeting, but this one had the potential to be a good one. It was with a potential investor, one that, Lexa hoped, could be the one. In the last couple of days there had been more than a few bumpy ones and she hoped that this would be the one that would make their future safer and their present better. Securing an investment like that would mean they’d be able to move forward, hire more people and decrease the workload that’s been put on Anya’s and Lexa’s shoulders. Lexa’s contacts landed her a meeting with Titus. He was known for aiding companies starting small with a potential to grow bigger. And making a lot of money from it. 

And Lexa was right to hope that that one would prove to be the right one. It went perfect. Titus was properly charmed, from both technical and business side of the things and agreed to sign a contract granting a lot of money to A.L.I.E.

“That was amazing,” Lexa said after he had left.

“Um you were amazing,” Becca grinned. “You both were, but damn that was good.” 

“She has a way with people,” Anya said. “They always end up doing things she wants them to do.”

“It’s a gift.”

“Or a curse,” Becca said.

“We gotta celebrate,” Anya got up from the chair. “Lunch, drinks, dinner, or everything?”

“I can’t stay long, I have a date with Clarke.”

“Then lunch and drinks for you and everything else for everyone else,” Anya said.

“Fine by me,” Becca agreed.

“I’m gonna go tell the good news to the rest of the guys,” Anya said.

“And I’m gonna go call Clarke.”

* * *

“You got it?” Clarke didn’t wait for Lexa to say anything when she picked up the phone.

“Got it.”

“I’m so proud of you.” Clarke couldn’t be happier. She knew how hard Lexa worked for it and how bad she wanted it. She never doubted she was going to get it, but hearing it made her day and week immensely better. Especially when compared to shitshow that was going on in her work place. 

“Thanks babe.”

“Drinks are on me tonight. Or dinner. Or both. Or whatever you want.”

“I’d rather spend it in bed,” Lexa laughed on the other side. “I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“I’m more than fine with that.”

“When will you be done?”

“I’ll try to run away around 5, I can be at your place around 6.”

“I’ll order pizza.”

“Can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too.”

“Okay, I should go now if I wanna be done by 5.”

“Good luck. Bye.”

“Thanks,” Clarke chuckled. “Love you, bye.”

It was only after Clarke put the phone on her desk and went back to the papers in front of her that she realized what she had said to Lexa.

* * *

5 pm never came faster. There was no sound from Lexa since that call. Clarke even thought about canceling, running away or moving to another country. She was never the person who blurted out something like that. She hadn’t even said it that many times in her life, and certainly never like that. On her ride to Lexa’s apartment she kept replaying it in her head. Over and over and over again. She decided it was for the best if she ignored and pretended it never happened. She hoped Lexa would do the same. It never occurred to her to think about why she said what she said and what it meant.

She knocked on Lexa’s door, even though she had a key.

“Hi.” Lexa opened the door. She had Clarke’s second favorite smile plastered across her face.

“Hey hotshot.” Clarke wrapped her arms around her neck. Lexa was warm and soft and Clarke’s heart was beating as fast as the first time she hugged her. “Congrats.”

“It’s not a big deal re-” Clarke kissed her before she could undermine the success and accomplishment. 

“Don’t you dare.”

“I might if it means you’re gonna kiss me like that every time.”

“I can kiss you like that regardless.”

“I missed you.” Lexa burried her head in the crook of Clarke’s neck. “Your hair and your smell and your face and your kisses and everything.”

“I was in your bed last night,” Clarke smiled and hoped Lexa wouldn’t catch up to the way her heart was beating as if there was no tomorrow, after every kiss Lexa placed on her neck.

“I didn’t have time to enjoy you properly.”

“Yeah?”

“I plan on doing that tonight.” Lexa smiled. “And tomorrow. And every day.”

“You are so cute.” Clarke kissed her again. And again. And again.

Lexa’s hands softly rubbed Clarke’s lower back while her forehead was leaned on Clarke’s and her eyes closed. “Why didn’t you use your key?”

“It felt weird with you being here.” Clarke lied.

“You know you can come and go any time you want.”

“I know.” There was a softness in Lexa’s eyes that Clarke hadn’t seen before. It went away when she blinked. 

“Pizza came a couple of minutes before you,” Lexa said and leaned back.

“That’s good news. Let me change first and we can eat.” Clarke changed into shorts and one of Lexa’s shirts and they moved the kissing and cuddling to the couch. Lexa’s hand was on Clarke’s inner thigh, her thumb drawing circles on Clarke’s skin, and her lips pressing soft kisses along Clarke’s jaw. “Why are you not eating?” Clarke asked between bites.

“I’m not that hungry. We went for drinks and food after the meeting.” Lexa’s other hand went up Clarke’s back to the back of her neck where she started to lightly scratch and send goosebumps all over Clarke’s body. “I knew you probably haven’t so I ordered it for you.”

“And now you decided to attack me from all sides.” Clarke lifted her brow and looked at smiling Lexa.

“What? You don’t like it?”

“I love it.” Clarke quickly looked away as she felt the redness creep up on her cheeks. She made a note in her head to stop saying that word around Lexa.

“You do?” Lexa whispered in her ear. “What else do you love?”

“Lexa.”

“Tell me.” Lexa kissed the corner of her mouth. Clarke was still refusing to look at her. “Or do you want me to go first?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I love this here,” Lexa said as she dragged a finger down from below Clarke’s ear to her chin.

Clarke closed her eyes and smiled. “I know you do.”

“I also love all those drawings you did of my face.” Clarke frowned and looked at Lexa, confused as to how she knew about that. “I kinda peeked at it one night when you were showering. I wanted to know why you were clutching to it so hard. They are amazing, you’re amazing and I love it.”

“Thank you.” 

“I also love when you wake up and start humming something I can’t understand. It’s usually in my ear and it’s honestly the best way to wake up.”

Clarke chuckled, “Sorry.”

“I also love when we have coffee in the morning, on weekends, how you pretend you are reading something when in fact all you do is stare at me.” Clarke’s heart was close to exploding. From happiness, from what she knew was coming, from having Lexa. “It’s a really nice ego boost.”

“Shut up.”

“I love how smart you are and good at everything you do. How passionate you are. It’s actually one of my favorite things about you.” Lexa tucked a piece of Clarke’s hair behind her ear and pulled her chin so Clarke was facing her. “It would take all night to count up all the things I love on you and about you.” Lexa kissed her cheek, again. “But it all can be said in a lot less time and words.”

“Lexa, you don’t ha-”

“I love you, Clarke Griffin.” Clarke wasn’t expecting the tears that started to fill her eyes and she certainly wasn’t expecting they’d fall down her cheeks. “What’s wrong?” Worry filled Lexa’s voice, eyes and her face. 

“No, don’t worry.” Clarke quickly wiped her cheeks. “I don’t know why, I’m…” Clarke sighed. “I’ve never had someone say all that and I’m just…” Lexa started to kiss away the tears, from her cheeks and from her eyes. But the more she kissed, more Clarke cried. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“I thought I was going to be the one crying.” Lexa’s smile made Clarke laugh. Laughing and crying is a combination she never thought she’d get to experience.

“I love you,” Clarke finally said.

“You do?”

“So much that I’m crying.”

* * *

The next couple of days had been eventful for Lexa. After getting the financing they so desperately needed, job applications started to come in and Lexa was overwhelmed with the amount of people wanting to work there. 

Clarke suggested she got someone who knew what they were doing, someone with experience and someone who was going to be able take a huge load off of Lexa’s back. Someone Lexa loved dearly.

“I thought you forgot about me in your new venture.” 

Getting Indra to say yes to lunch was harder than Lexa thought it was going to be. Asking her what she had planned to ask was going to be even harder. “You know that’s not true.”

“I hear you are doing some pretty good things.”

“Yes, we are not doing so bad. We got some money and a new place and it’s going pretty good for now.”

“Your old boss is furious.”

“Is he?”

“You took his second best employee.”

“He kinda gave her to me.”

“There’s a secret bet going around offices, about who will and when turn and run away to you.”

“And who has the best chances?”

“Clarke.”

“Really? People think she’s gonna quit and come work with me?”

“They think she’s already there.”

“Does she know that?” Lexa frowned. It made her feel not good feeling.

“I think everyone except Marcus knows. Have you talked with her since?”

“Um yes, but she hadn't said anything.”

“Is there truth to it?”

“No, she’s working her ass off for him. I don’t know why people would say stuff like that.”

“Well, I’m the second on the list.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“I think Marcus has lost his way and I’m too old to be doing and listening to the crap that he’s been making me do and listen.” Indra smiled.

“I thought this was going to be much harder.”

“You haven’t even asked anything yet.”

“Can I?”

“How stable is the thing that you’re about to offer to me?”

“I wouldn’t be offering it if I thought it wasn’t set in stone for years to come.”

“Then I can yes.”

“But I haven’t even asked.”

“Then ask.” 

Asking was much easier than Lexa ever anticipated it.

* * *

Later that day Clarke witnessed another one of Marcus’ meltdowns. This one, like many others before since Lexa left, were about Lexa. This time it was because apparently someone saw Indra with her and Marcus did not like it, to say the least.

She went back to her office and called her mother. “I have to cancel our dinner tonight, if that’s okay with you.”

“Did something happen?”

“No, don’t worry.” Clarke had a dinner with Lexa, but she couldn’t say that to her mother. “Something came up.”

“Something worth ditching your own mother?”

“I’m not ditching you.”

“I’m joking Clarke. Is it a work thing or?”

“It’s not.”

“Then it’s a date?”

“Mom, please.”

“It’s just a question, I deserve to know whose company you find more enjoyable than mine.”

“It’s a date yes.”

“Is it something new?”

“It’s been a while.”

“And when were you going to tell me?”

“When I thought it was a good idea.”

“You’re gonna have to tell me more now.”

“It’s been going great so far. She’s great.”

“What’s her name?”

“I’m not telling you who she is.”

“Why?”

“You’ll know when you know.”

“Do I know her.”

“Mom.”

“Okay, okay. How is work?”

“Marcus is…”

“Crazy. I know. Is it at least bearable?”

“Some days it’s better than the others.”

“I honestly don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s acting like a child. Makes me wonder if… Let’s just say that I’m reconsidering a lot of things.”

“That’s new?”

“Newish.”

“We can have dinner when I get back from the next weeks convention.”

“We can. You can tell me more about your girlfriend.”

“Maybe.”

“So she is a girlfriend? Now I don’t mind that you canceled our dinner.”

* * *

“You’re really pretty tonight.” It was after their dinner, dinner Lexa spent staring at Clarke, making her smile and kissing her every chance she got. They were in Clarke’s apartment, and Lexa cooked dinner. 

“And I’m usually not?” Clarke poured more wine in her and Lexa’s glass.

“Of course you are. It’s just special pretty tonight.”

“Thank you,” Clarke said before eating the last piece of food from her plate. “There are rumors more people are going to disappear from Arcadia.”

“Really?”

“You wouldn’t know anything about that?”

“Maybe.” Lexa smiled. “How is it for you there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone I talk to keeps telling me how terrible it’s gotten and you haven’t really said anything.”

“We said we wouldn’t.”

“And you’re my girlfriend and you work in a place that seems to be not so good at the time and you should tell me if it’s not good. I don’t care what we said. We’re not talking about work related things.”

“It’s okay. I mean it’s not great but it’s okay. I do my job and ignore the rest. Or try to,” Clarke said. “He is out of his mind and this new guy we are working for is… not great. And people are starting to hate it there and…”

“Does anyone know about us?”

“I don’t know, why?”

“Indra told me they are talking about us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Stuff like you being practically out of there and working with me.”

“People talk shit, you know that. I don’t listen to it or make anything of it. They can try and say that to my face but they know it’s not true so they won’t.”

“Still, I don’t think it’s okay that you work hard as you do and give your everything and that people talk shit about you.”

“I honestly don’t care.” Clarke put her hand over Lexa’s and smiled. “It’s worse that I have to listen to him bitch about you.”

“Anya said he’s giving everyone, especially you, too much stuff to do.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle. I promise.”

“Okay, I hope so.”

“You’ll be the first one to know if it gets.”

“But you know, you can always come…”

“No.” Clarke smiled and shook her head. “But thanks for thinking about me.”

“That’s kinda my thing.”

“Is it?” Clarke lifted her brow.

“It’s gonna be really hard to not kiss you this next week.”

“Who says you won’t be able to kiss me.”

“All seeing eye could see.”

“He can’t see shit.” Clarke chuckled. “Are you excited.”

“I’m more excited to see what exactly are you up too.”

“Oh you’re are in for a surprise.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Be careful what you wish for.”


	5. Chapter 5

It was 7 am on a Tuesday morning when Clarke opened her eyes. It was also the second day of four day convention and it was also going to be the hardest of four days for Clarke. 

She woke up alone to a handwritten note next to her head  _ ‘I had to run but I kissed you goodbye :)’.  _ The other side of the bed was still warm and the pillow still smelled like her. Clarke closed her eyes and wrapped herself around Lexa’s pillow. It was going to be a long day and the first one wasn’t much better. 

Clarke did spend most of it roaming around half empty rooms. It was her second time attending one of those but a first one without Lexa. She did see her and Anya, in passing, before Marcus pulled her away to some meeting Clarke spent staring at the black dot on the otherwise white wall in front of her. Then there was also another one of Marcus’ freakouts. This time it was because someone from HR called him to inform that Gustus was another name on the list of people who resigned and left the company. To say that he was furious would had been an understatement. But the worst part, for Clarke, was that she had to spend 10 hours walking around with his voice in the back of her head reminding her.

Lexa on the other hand spent the day in a much better company and spirits. Clarke did not see her but she did hear her and all about the exciting news that could turn to even more exciting partnerships. It was a busy day, but Lexa promised her the evening and night was going to be Clarke.

That’s why Clarke spent the evening alone in bed waiting for the call that came but only after she fell asleep. It turned out Lexa’s meetings weren’t as useless as hers. It also turned out that Lexa’s meetings ran deep into the night. The call that was supposed to come just before 10pm, came through just after 2am. 

“Yes?” Clarke picked it up without looking or thinking or knowing what she was doing.

“Did I wake you?” A subconscious smile spread over Clarke’s face when she heard the voice she missed.

“Hello to you too,” she said instead of answering Lexa’s question. “What time is it?” Clarke pushed herself up on the bed, turned on the bedside lamp and sat up.

“A bit after 2.”

“Where are you?”

“Down in the lobby.”

Lexa sounded drunk. Not drunk drunk, but the kind of drunk Clarke learned Lexa got after one too many glasses of wine. Wine was one drink that got to Lexa’s head like no other. She could drink hard liquor like no one Clarke ever met, but wine was lethal. “Do you wanna come up?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“That’s not what I asked,” Clarke said. “I have cookies.”

“What are you wearing?”

Clarke snorted, cookies weren’t Lexa’s priority. “Your shirt.”

“I love when you’re wearing my stuff.”

“Yeah?”

“But can I take it off if I come upstairs?”

“Why would you do that if you love when I’m wearing it?”

“I love your boobs more.”

“Lexa Woods, that kinda talk could get you in trouble.”

“Your boobs always get me in trouble.”

“What do I get in return?”

“You get me on top of you.”

“And what if I want to be the one on top?”

“I’d be happy to yield my position.”

“Smartass. It’s room 845. Knock when you are here.” It took Lexa less than 5 minutes to be in Clarke’s room. “What kind of a meeting goes on till 2 am?” Clarke asked with her arms crossed on her chest.

“I was promised something else,” Lexa smiled, pushed the door behind her, locked it and wrapped her arms around Clarke’s back. 

“You actually weren’t. You were the one promising things,” Clarke bit her lip and ran her hands over Lexa’s shoulders to the back of her neck. Lexa closed her eyes and hummed in approval.

“I almost didn’t make it through today.”

“And why is that?” Clarke pressed her lips softly on Lexa’s neck before tracing kisses up her jaw.

“You were so close but I couldn’t touch you.” The tiny whimpers leaving Lexa’s throat were the best sign of how desperate Lexa was for her touch.

“You seem fine to me.” Clarke teased prompting Lexa to open her eyes and sneak her hands under Clarke’s shirt. 

“You should know by now how good I am at faking it.”

“I was promised a night together.”

“I am here, aren’t I?”

“It’s not really 10 pm.” Lexa’s hands on her back were warm and soothing. It still amazed Clarke how Lexa knew just how and where and when to touch. Every time. Be it soft or less than soft, but each and every time everything around them stopped existing, there was only Lexa. And the softness of that kind of touch filled Clarke’s heart with so much love that it spilled over and around her whole body. 

“I know baby, I’m sorry.” It was the type of soft that had her heart ache for more.

“You’re lucky I like you so much.”

“Close your eyes.”

Clarke looked at her, seeing in Lexa’s eyes the love she felt through her fingertips. “Why?”

“Indulge me.” Clarke tilted her head and smiled. “Please.” 

Clarke closed her eyes and felt Lexa’s hands go from her back down to her hips. She felt Lexa’s lips on her cheek and the light taping of her fingers in tune with the soft melody she started to hum. Lexa started to swing them left and right. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh.” They were slow dancing in the dark room to some song Lexa was whispering in her ear. It felt like a dream. “Do you know how much I love you?,” Lexa asked.

“I might.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Is it?”

“I’d probably give up everything if you asked.”

“That is dangerous.”

“But I don’t mind it.”

“How so?”

“I know you’d do the same.”

Clarke smiled, “What makes you so sure?”

“I can see it in your eyes,” Lexa said, “feel it on your skin. You heart always betrays you, Clarke,” Lexa smiled.

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

“Never,” Lexa said as her hand went up Clarke’s sides. “I’m gonna feel you up now.”

“I thought we’d never get to that part.”

First day was long, with terrible start and great end. But the second day was going to be different.

“Are you planning on sneaking there?” Raven asked in elevator. Two of them, Raven and Clarke, were on their way to the venue. “Also don’t think I can’t see what you did last night,” she said after Clarke yawned. 

“More like this morning.”

“Risky. I like it,” Raven smirked. “Will you do it?”

“Will I do what?”

“Sneak and see the presentation.”

It was the day of Lexa’s big presentation. Clarke watched her prepare for it for the past week. She knew how much it meant to her and Becca, and also what it could mean if it went the way Lexa had planned and hoped it would. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“Maybe? As if.”

“Marcus is not in good mood and that certainly wouldn’t make it better.”

“Who cares about his mood,” Raven said. “Besides you can pin it to wanting to know what the competition has going for them.”

“I don’t know, today is going to be hard enough as it is.”

Raven frowned. “Why?”

“He gave me a list of people I have to persuade to not join the enemy.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“All’s fair in love and war.”

“It’s fucked up if you ask me,” Clarke sighed.

They got out of the hotel and made their way across the street and couple of blocks east to where convention took place. “That’s why you don’t mix business with pleasure.”

“And that’s why I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“You’re forgetting that she is a big girl and she knows, or should know, how that kind of stuff works.”

“That’s not what’s bothering me.”

“Then what?”

“If I do my job the way I know I have to, I’ll hurt her and I don’t want to be responsible for hurting her.”

“Oh Clarke, I keep forgetting how bad you got it, but then you say something like that and I remember,” Raven said. “You know they asked me to jump the ship.”

Clarke frowned, “Who asked you?” 

“Lexa and Anya.”

“When?”

“Yesterday. I mean Anya’s been asking for a while, but Lexa asked yesterday.”

“I didn’t know that. Will you?”

“Maybe,” Raven sighed. “Marcus turned it all to hell. I got from loving my job to hating the thought of going to work,” she said. “But that’s not what I wanted to say. Maybe you should think about jumping the ship too.”

“No.”

“Why no?”

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t wanna be a shadow. That thing is hers and not mine and I don’t see a place in it for me.”

“That’s…”

“That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

* * *

The presentation was a success, if there was ever any doubt really. Everything went exactly as Lexa had planned and parts of it even better. There were more than a couple interested looking faces in the audience and a couple of really angry looking ones.

The angriest of them all was Marcus. That was the part that Lexa did not expect. She never imagine he’d show up, let alone with Clarke on one side and Cage Wallace of all people on the other. It was an answer to a question Lexa never wanted to ask Clarke; Who is the person they are working for now.

Cage spent all of 15 minutes of presentation whispering something in Kane’s ear, and Kane spent it furiously saying something into Clarke’s. Clarke just sat and listened and smiled at Lexa when no one else was looking.

Other than Marcus and his anger, everyone else seemed to be interested, even those still working with Marcus. That was probably the part that bothered him the most. If they kept going away, soon he’d be left with nothing and that must had been the cause of more than one sleepless night. The thought of being responsible for the possible demise of Marcus Kane was what made Lexa walk up to them and throw some oil to an already out of had fire.

“Marcus,” she said with a smile on her face, “it’s been a while.”

“Lexa.” He ignored the hand she offered.

“Ms Woods, I’ve heard a lot about you, it’s nice to finally see you in action,” Cage said.

“Pleasure is all mine,” Lexa said before turning back to Marcus. “I hear things are looking up at your front.”

“Yes, things got better once Clarke stepped in and took charge,” Marcus said.

“Too bad you lost all those investors. That must have been a hit.” Lexa ignored the Clarke part. “You lose some you win some, I guess.”

“Just cleaning up house,” Marcus said. “We now have a strong base.”

Lexa nodded. “Just be careful not to clean it too much. You never know what you will or won’t find under the rug.”

“I will not stand and listen to your threats, if that is where you are going with all this nonsense.” In all the time Lexa worked for him, she learned the way Marcus’ brain was working and what were the right buttons to push.

“I’m not threatening you, you of all people should know I’m more of a doer.”

“We have more important business to attend to than to listen to empty threats of an disgruntled ex employee,” Cage sad with his hand on Kane’s shoulder. Lexa didn’t like anything on or about him.

“You mean trying to have one that’s not ex?,” Lexa lifted her brow.

As on cue, Marcus turned around and left without saying anything, Cage just smiled before going after him and Clarke sighed. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?,” she whispered.

“Just having a bit of fun,” Lexa smile, “call you later.”

* * *

It was smooth sailing from there for Lexa. Until it wasn’t.

Lexa knew how to work people, how to spin them and turn them and make them dance the way she wanted them to. What she seemed to have forgotten is that Clarke was as good, if not even better. And what she didn’t know was that they were trying to spin the same people. She learned it the hard way.

“I know they are alluring, young and new and current hot thing in industry,” Lexa overheard Clarke say to one of those people. “Everyone is talking about them and everyone seems to want a piece of it.” Lexa wasn’t planning on doing it but she stepped aside to listen what Clarke was about to say. “What no one seems to understand, or even think about,” Clarke continued, “is that they are inexperienced, they are making a lot of powerful enemies on their way and taking everything anyone gives to them. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be so eager to join that party. Meanwhile you’ve been with us for a very long time and know how we at Arcadia do things. We’ve proven ourselves time after time that we know what we are doing, and forgive the bluntness, but I think we’ve earned you more money than you’ve spent. That’s something they won’t be able to give you.”

Lexa turned around and left before she could hear the rest. The tiny bit she did hear was more than enough. From there on, Lexa’s day turned from bad to worse. It was a no after no and the part that made it worse was that she knew Clarke was behind every no she got. 

It was much late that day, long into the night after many hours of ignoring texts and calls, when Clarke found her sitting in hotel bar. 

“You’re ignoring me,” Clarke said standing next to her.

“I needed space.”

“From me?”

“Yes.” Lexa ordered another drink, third of the night.

“Why?” Clarke sat next to her

“We got rejection after rejection,” Lexa said. “But I guess you already know that.” She looked at Clarke until she saw the acknowledgment in her eyes.

“What do you mean?,” Clarke asked.

“I overheard one of your pitches. What I wanna know is if you were going to tell me it was you doing it if I hadn’t heard it?”

“That it was me doing what?”

“Telling people I’m shit.”

Clarke sighed, “I don’t know what you heard but I didn’t say that.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“For what? Being an adult?”

“No. Talking with you.” Lexa emptied the glass, paid what she owed and walked away. Couple of seconds later she felt Clarke’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t walk away from me,” Clarke said. “I was just doing my job, I wasn’t saying you are shit, I was just saying the truth. It’s not my fault you are on the other side of the net. I wanna win too.”

“You wanna win for Cage Wallace?”

“I wanna win for me.”

“You are surrounding yourself with really great people.”

“I don’t understand you Lexa. You are allowed to do whatever for the benefit of your company but I should what? Not do the same because it conflicts with your wishes and desires? If you were in my position you’d-”

“I’d give you a heads up.”

“Heads up? For doing my job?,” Clarke sighed. “Lexa, you might be the current center of my life but we both agreed to draw a line between that life and this life. You can’t be mad at me for doing my job.”

Lexa knew Clarke was right. She knew there was a possibility of something like that happening, it was almost inevitable, but they both ignored it. It was easier to pretend that part of their lives was never going to interfere with the good part. Lexa knew it was part of the deal, you can’t be on opposing sides and not clash, but still it was hard not to feel betrayed even though it wasn’t anything but betrayal. “I can be mad at Clarke Griffin of Arkadia for ruining weeks of work.”

“And what about just Clarke Griffin?”

“Right now it’s hard to see the other side of that line,” Lexa said. “Good night Clarke.”


	6. Chapter 6

Clarke was counting down the minutes till the clock next to her bed showed numbers that were big enough to be considered acceptable to get out of bed. She didn’t sleep much that night. She spent it staring at the last text Lexa had sent her. It was a couple of hours after the conversation, or attempt of one, they had that night in the hotel bar. Lexa’s text said she couldn’t wait till later that night when she’ll finally be able to kiss Clarke.

Clarke debated to be the one to break the silence, to try and meet Lexa half way, or even walk all the way to where Lexa was standing. She knew how stubborn Lexa is and how hard her words could cut if she decided to make them sharp enough. And Clarke just wanted to feel Lexa’s hands wrapped around her, Lexa’s lips on her skin and hear the muffled whispers of love that were Lexa’s version of lullaby.

But instead of sending a short “I’m sorry”, Clarke got up and went out on the balcony. Lexa’s room was on the same floor as hers, 5 rooms between them. It look Clarke less than a minute to give in and look in her direction. On the sixth balcony to her left there was a dimmed light of a computer screen and a silhouette of a woman sitting in one of the chairs. Unlike Lexa, Clarke was in darkness. She took out her phone and sent a text. A couple of seconds later she heard the familiar beep of Lexa’s phone.

 

_ Are you up? _

 

Clarke saw Lexa pick her phone up, read the text and put it back on the table in front of her, never writing back.

Clarke spent the next couple of minutes staring at her girlfriend. When Clarke couldn’t sleep she drew, and when Lexa couldn’t sleep she worked.

 

_ I just want to talk _

 

Clarke sent another text. Maybe it was desperate, maybe it was searching for something that she knew Lexa wasn’t going to give in to, at least not that night, but she needed to hear the softness in Lexa’s voice, she needed to make it better, she needed to feel warmth she felt every time Lexa looked at her.

Maybe Clarke shouldn’t had said what she did about Lexa’s company and maybe she did exactly what Lexa would have done. Maybe Lexa was right and maybe she overreacted. Maybe she was right to overreact. Maybe Clarke had no reason to still be where she was. And maybe she felt like she had to prove to the world, to Marcus, to her mother, to Lexa, that she could do it just as good.

When she saw Lexa was going to ignore both of her texts, she went back inside, closed the balcony door and laid on the bed. She closed her eyes and thought back to the last time she had Lexa in bed next to her. She managed to get two hours of sleep.

When the numbers on the clock next to her head were at 5:45 she got out of the bed, she showered, put on last night’s clothes and went down to the hotel bar for a coffee.

The place was empty except for one table. Clarke took a deep breath and walked up to her.

“Can I sit here?” When she didn’t get an answer she pulled out the chair and sat down.

“I didn’t say you can,” Lexa said without lifting her eyes from the phone that was in her eyes. Her eyes were glued to one point in the upper right corner of it, it was obvious to anyone looking at her that she wasn’t really looking at her phone, she was just avoiding Clarke’s eyes.

“You didn’t say I couldn’t either.”

“Someone might see you.” Lexa was starting to sharp her knife.

“Let them.” The softness Clarke so much longed was nowhere to be seen. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” Clarke ignored both the tone and words.

“I can’t help you with that.”

“Lexa can we talk like adults just for one minute?”

“Adult thing is to feel hurt after you’ve been hurt,” Lexa said. “Or do you want me to go back to not caring?” She finally looked up and made sure Clarke knew how sharp the knife was. There was hurt, and there was anger in her eyes, but there was also resilience Clarke knew meant only one thing.

“Is the adult thing also purposefully hurting me?”

“I’m hurting you?”

“What do you think?”

“At least something I’m good at and have experience with.”

“Why are you saying all that? I know you don’t mean it.”

“Like you didn’t mean what you said about me?”

“I never said anything about you.”

“Inexperienced, wasn’t that what you called me?”

“Yes, you don’t have experience in leading a-”

“I have 10 people with me who made Arcadia what it is today and I’m inexperienced?”

“What you would have said about Arkadia?” They were getting farther and farther from where Clarke thought they were going to be.

“That it’s a sinking ship led by an incompetent fool.”

“And that would’ve been okay?”

“You know it’s true,” Lexa said.

“You do know I’m the one responsible for leading that ship on a day to day basis?”

“And you know who is an incompetent fool.”

“Other people don’t.”

“And I’m inexperienced?”

“Yes, you’ve been existing for a couple of months, you are inexperienced.”

“And Arkadia is led by an incompetent fool.”

Deafening silence fell between them. Clarke was supposed to fall asleep last night and wake up that morning in Lexa’s arms. She wasn’t supposed to be sitting across her and listen to the last thing she wanted Lexa to say. “Thank you,” Clarke said. “I guess I am a fool for thinking you’d feel as bad as I do.”

“I have nothing to feel bad about.”

Clarke swallowed the tears that were threatening to come out of hiding. She didn’t cry all night and she hoped she wasn’t going to start there, in front of Lexa. “You really are good at that hurting thing.” It was the first time Lexa looked away since she stopped staring at her phone. “I’ve wanted to apologize. I was just doing my job but I realize now I shouldn’t have done it by undermining what you were doing. I should’ve talked more about us and less about you. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. You know I think you’re far from inexperienced and that I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished in such a short time,” Clarke said. “But fools are always going to be fools.” She left without waiting for Lexa to give her the softness she needed so much. She knew she wasn’t going to get it.

* * *

It was two days after Clarke came back from the convention. Two days of no contact from Lexa. Two days of Clarke preparing for what she thought was going to be the next step. On the second day Clarke called up her mother for dinner.

“You look,” Abby started after they ordered the food. Clarke didn’t know if she called her mother because she needed a distraction from thinking about Lexa or if she needed to talk about Lexa. “You look like you haven’t been having much sleep.”

“As much as I can.”

“Last time we talked you sounded happy. There was someone making you happy. Did something happen?”

“I don’t know if I want to talk about that.”

Abby nodded. “How’s work?,” she then asked.

“Going from bad to worse.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s been bad for a while now.”

“No, no that,” Abby said. “I’m sorry I made you accept his offer. Never in a million years I could imagine him turning to this. I realize now I should’ve left you do what you wanted to do. I’m sorry, if I had known-”

“It’s fine mom, really. You did what you thought would be the best.”

“You know you can quit,” Abby said. “If you’re doing it for me then don’t, I haven’t seen him or talked to him in a while, if you wanna leave then you should leave.”

Clarke was expecting a lot of things to hear from her mother but that wasn’t one of them. “When have I ever gave up on a challenge?,” she tried to smile.

“There are challenges and there are things that don’t deserve your time.”

“If I give up now then I’ll prove everyone right.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was no one who thought that I could do it. When I quit I’ll prove them right, I’ll prove that I really couldn’t do it.”

“You can’t possibly think that Clarke? You’ve done things in the past couple of months that I doubt anyone else could.”

“You mean lose employees and investors? Yeah, I doubt anyone else could’ve done that.”

“No, none of that was or is your fault,” Abby shook her head. “Did someone said something to you? Has Lexa and her people been-”

“No,” Clarke said before Abby could finish. “Lexa never said anything.”

“Then why the sad face?”

“What do you mean?”

“I doubt all that that’s been going on with you is because of Marcus.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m your mother Clarke, I know everything, even the things you don’t say to me.”

“I had a fight with someone because of him.”

“With someone special?”

“I said things I shouldn’t have said, then she said things she probably shouldn’t have and now we are one step away from not talking ever again.”

“You’ve always been stubborn and ambitious, that’s something you take after your father. Like him you always think you have to prove yourself to someone, that no one knows how good you are. And then in the process of being great you do things you don’t have to do because you think it’s the only way to prove your value when we all know just how amazing you are at everything you do.”   
“I’m tired mom.”

“You need to sit and think is Marcus worth it because you don’t have anything to prove to anyone baby, you are already the best,” Abby smiled. “And if you are anything like your father, what we both know you are, then you know when people are hurt they say stuff they don’t mean.”

“And what should I do if I’m also hurt?”

“You should still clean your mess, if the other person doesn’t want to do the same then they are also not worth your time. Life is too short to waste it on people not ready to admit their mistakes and apologize.”

* * *

The next day Clarke was late for work. It was weird to be there without a lot of people she got used to seeing every day and she was pretty sure Raven was going to be the next one to leave. She was probably on her way out, counting her last days or hours. Clarke could see it in the way she stopped caring about doing a better job than everyone else. There was also the thing where she tried to persuade Clarke to do the same.

“They want you there.”

“Who is they?,” the two of them were on a coffee break.

“Lexa.”

“I doubt Lexa wants to see me right now, let alone have to see me every day.”

“For someone as smart as you are, you two are stupid as fuck.”

“I don’t wanna talk about Lexa and I don’t want to work for Lexa.”

“You’d be working with her.”

“No, I’d be working for her, just like everyone else is. Not that I have something against it but living in someone’s shadow was never my thing.”

“You could do it together,” Raven insisted.

“When are you leaving?,” Clarke changed the subject.

“Why do you think I’m leaving?”

“I know you.”

“End of the week,” Raven said.

“I’m happy for you.”

“You are?”

“Of course I am, you are my friend and I want only the best for you. And this here is certainly not the best.”

“It’s not the best for you eith-”

“Clarke I need to talk to you,” Marcus surprised them in the kitchen. It was maybe the third time since Clarke got there that she saw him in there. “It’s important,” he said.

“Sure,” Clarke got up and picked up her still not empty cup. “My office or?”

“Yours is okay.”

“Good luck,” Raven whispered before they left.

“Did something happen?,” Clarke asked after she closed the door of her office.

“We need to talk what are your plans about Lexa,” Marcus said as he sat in one of the chairs in front of Clarke’s desk.

“What do you mean?”

“We need to stop her.”

“I still don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” Clarke sat in her chair. There was hundred and one different thing going through her head. She prayed Marcus wasn’t going to say things she was sure he was going to say.

“End-”

“Let me stop you before you say something that could make me do and say things that shouldn’t be done or said, no matter who is the person receiving it,” Clarke said. “I think you need to let it go and focus your time and energy on your own company because in case you haven’t noticed it’s starting to fall apart.”

“All our problems will be solved when we get rid the thing that’s causing it.”

“Lexa is not causing-”

“If she hadn’t been greedy and left then none of this would have been happening.”

“If you listened to her maybe she would have never left.”

“I wasn’t about to give in on her demands.”

“She wasn’t demanding anything,” Clarke said.

“Whose side are you on Clarke?” That was when Marcus started to get defensive.

“On the side of reason. I did not come here to waste my time and energy trying to come up with plans how to ruin someone’s life.”

“Then you’re not cut out for this job.”

“Are you serious right now?”

Marcus got up. “I think you need to reevaluate your dedication to this job and this company, if you are not ready to do whatever it takes for us to succeed maybe this job is not for you after all.” He left before Clarke had a chance to ask him to leave.

* * *

Later that night, when she got home, Clarke took out her sketchbook, the one she hadn’t open in a long time. Too long. It was full of drawings of Lexa and something that looked like Lexa. She took her pen and decided to get lost in the lines of Lexa’s face.

A couple of hours later doorbell startled her.

When she opened the door Clarke saw Lexa standing in front of her with a box of chocolates in her hand. “Do you think we could talk?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi. it's been a while.

Lexa was holding Clarke’s favorite chocolate in her hand and apology in her eyes. “Do you think we could talk?,” she said standing outside Clarke’s apartment, waiting for Clarke to invite her in.

“Yes.” Clarke stepped to the side and let Lexa walk in and closed the door behind them.

“This is for you.” Lexa handed her the box she was holding. “I know you like it.” Lexa was more awkward than the first time the two of them were on a date.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to.” Clarke took the chocolate and put it on the table in the kitchen. Lexa was walking behind her and around her as if it was her first time with Clarke or in Clarke’s apartment. Last time Lexa was there she was cooking Clarke dinner and it felt like the place belonged to her. “Do you want to drink something or,” Clarke sighed realizing how ridiculous the situation they were in was. They both were acting as if they were strangers and not two people who loved each other. “Why is this so awkward?,” she asked.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not really your fault,” Clarke chuckled.

“Not for this,” Lexa said. She walked closed to where Clarke was leaning on the counter, but still stood far enough. “But also for this.”

“I’m also sorry.”

Lexa shook her head. “I was stupid.”

“So was I.”

“You are not a fool and you certainly are not incompetent. You are the smartest person I know.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Clarke interrupted her.

“I’m not doing anything. I’m telling you what I want you to hear and know,” Lexa said. “I was hurt but that didn’t give me the right to say what I said or to act like I acted. It was my idea to not talk about work.”  
“I should’ve said something to you before.”

“I wouldn’t have said anything either and the stuff I’d say if I got the chance would probably be worse than what you said,” Lexa said. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I will understand if you’d need a break from me.”

“What?,” Clarke looked up from where Lexa was pulling down on her shirt and to her eyes. “I don’t need a break. We don’t need a break,” Clarke said. “We don’t right?,” she asked looking for an answer in Lexa’s eyes.

“I’ll never say something like that again. I’ll never hurt you on purpose again.”

“I hurt you too.” Lexa was still far, her own choice, her hands in her pockets and her eyes everywhere from Clarke’s eyes to her hair to somewhere behind her. She wasn’t touching her and Clarke wanted to scream.

“No,” Lexa shook her head. “You hurt my job not me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lexa smiled. “You’ve already apologized.”

“And you didn’t say anything.”

“I thought actions speak louder than words,” Lexa said.

“What actions?”

“Chocolate.”

“That was supposed to be what?,” Clarke frowned.

“Apology accepted,” Lexa said. “And I’m just standing not doing anything.”

“Yeah actions speak louder than words.” Clarke smiled.

“I’m waiting for you.”

“To do what?”

“One step that’s left.”

Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s neck before she even got the chance to finish her sentence. “Tell me we are okay.”

“We are okay.” Lexa’s hands slowly went down Clarke’s back, tentatively, as if waiting for Clarke to stop her. When they got to Clarke’s hips, Clarke leaned her forehead on Lexa’s.

“Are we going to be okay?”

“I love you.” Lexa leaned and kissed her and Clarke felt calm for the first time in almost a week. “We will,” Lexa said. “I’m sorry it took me two days to realize what an ass I was. It won’t happen again, I promise to always be an adult from now on. And we are gonna talk now.”

“We’ve been talking.”

“Yes, but we will talk about you. About everything that’s been going on.”

“I thought we would keep it-”

“No,” Lexa shook her head. “Tonight I’m just your girlfriend. And I’m gonna listen. Now talk.”

“On command?”

“Yes,” Lexa leaned back and pulled Clarke with her leading her to the couch not far away. “Now talk,” she said again when they sat down.

“I don’t- I don’t know where- how to start,” Clarke sighed.

Lexa took a second to think about something. “Why did you do it? And I’m asking as Lexa the girlfriend.”

“It’s my responsibility to not see the company fail,” Clarke said after a couple of second.

“It’s your responsibility to be the best you can.”

“Yes. And to not fail. And certainly not be known for running it to the ground.”

“You are not the one doing that,” Lexa said.

“My name is next to it all.”

“And someone else’s name is on top.”

“I’ll prove everyone right.”

Lexa frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That I’m not cut for it. That I was never good at it or the right one for the job.”

Lexa must have seen in her eyes what Clarke didn’t say out loud. “Prove me right?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you think? That if Arkadia fails I’ll be happy because it means I was the one and not you.” Sometimes silence spoke more than thousand words. “Oh Clarke,” Lexa sighed.

“I don’t mean it like that.”

“I know how you mean it and it hurts me that you think that,” Lexa said. “I might have said a lot of stupid stuff in the past but I’d never think it was your fault or that you are not good, great, at what you do.”

“I’m not really great.”

“Am I the reason you feel like that?”

“No,” Clarke shook her head and intertwined their fingers.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“I’m not so sure,” Clarke sighed.

“Are you happy working for him?”

“We don’t really have to talk about this.” Clarke was always great at evading questions, both those asked and those to be asked.

But what she didn’t know was that Lexa loved her too much to let her evade it anymore. She put her hand around Clarke’s neck and scooted closer to her. “Clarke,” she said softly. “Look at me.” She tapped her finger on Clarke’s chin to get her to look her way. “I don’t care what our jobs are and what I said or haven’t said before. Are you happy working for him? Like really happy? Because what I see is someone who is so stressed and probably hates every second spent there and all because someone stupid once doubted you.”

“It was better while you were there.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I could be happier.”

“That’s still not an answer,” Lexa smiled. She placed a kiss on Clarke’s jaw.

“It gives me anxiety. Going to work.”

“Do you think it’s worth it? Keeping yourself in such position, purposefully making yourself feel not good and for nothing.”

“Probably not.”

“You are the one suffering the most and I hate seeing the light go out of your eyes,” Lexa said.

“I feel like I need a three year vacation so I just don’t see or hear any of that shit anymore,” Clarke sighed.

“I miss working with you too,” Lexa said after a couple of seconds.

“No,” Clarke shook her head. “Don’t make me have to say no.”

“Would it be that bad?”

“It would be following someone else, again, and again not doing what I want. If people now talk shit I can’t imagine what they’d do if I did that.”

“What do you wanna do?”

“Not have to think about anything for a while.” Clarke knew Lexa was right. She knew there was no future or happiness in staying where she was, in working for Marcus, at suffering at the hand of no one else but herself. She knew she needed to get away from it, to focus on herself and no one else, to do, for once, what she wanted to do with her life. To do what she was supposed to do before her mother made her take the job that was slowly ruining her life.

“Then do that,” Lexa said. “But whatever you do make sure that it’s your decision and yours only.”

She also knew she didn’t want Lexa to feel like she was the one that made her do it. “I will.”

“That’s better than no, so I think it’s improvement,” Lexa smiled.

“Thank you.”

“Any time.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you,” Lexa kissed her. “And maybe I can take your mind off of things at least for a couple of hours. Make you not think about anything.”

“I’m not going to say no to that.”

* * *

First thing Clarke heard when she got to work was that Roan Azgeda was going to be visiting them later that day and that both Marcus and Cage are going to be there for it. Clarke was also expected to show up.

“Do you know what that’s all about?,” she asked Marcus’ assistant and got only a shrug in return. When Clarke walked in she saw Cage already there, sitting comfortably in the sofa while Marcus anxiously walked up and down the room. “Hi,” Clarke said.

“Clarke, you are here, finally,” Marcus stopped and looked at her.

“Am I late?”

“No, Marcus is just nervous,” Cage said. “Sit,” he pointed at the empty space next to him.

Clarke decided to ignore the invitation and remained on her feet. “What’s this about?”

“Apparently Roan Azgeda is mad about something,” Cage said.

“I thought you were friends with Nia,” Clarke looked at Cage. “What does she say?”

“She’s not returning my calls.”

“Mr Azgeda is here,” assistant’s head popped behind the door before she opened them wide and let Roan walk in. Clarke had never met him before but, unlike about his mother, she heard only nice things about him.

“Roan,” Marcus hurried to greet him. “It’s a surprise.”

“Marcus.” Roan nodded.

“This is Clarke Griffin,” Marcus introduced them while faking a smile.

“Nice to meet you Clarke.”

“Pleasure is all mine Mr Azgeda,” Clarke smiled politely.

“What brings you here?,” Marcus showed him to the chair in front of the desk and got behind in his own. Clarke sat on Marcus’ right side, opposite Cage.

“I think you know why I’m here,” Roan said. “After the show you’ve put on that conference I’m sure you knew I was going to be coming.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Are you interested in partnering with us?,” Marcus asked.

“Partnering?,” Roan chuckled. Clarke had a feeling that the meeting wasn’t about anything good and that Marcus had every right to be as nervous as he looked he was. Roan did not look like someone who came bearing good news and certainly not partnership good. “More like suing you.”

“What?” Clarke could see Marcus’ face go through ten different colors before settling on white. “Why would you sue us?”

“That’s what usually happens when you steal.”

“I suggest you be more careful with the words you choose to say,” it was the first time Cage spoke.

“And I assume you are the mastermind behind it all,” Roan said without turning around to look at him. “I came because my mother and you have had a good relationship so far. A courtesy,” he said to Marcus.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Clarke said when she saw Marcus was not going, or was not able, to say anything.

“Your new product is something my company has been working on for two years. Imagine my surprise when I heard the news about Arkadia doing the exactly same thing with no one else but Cage Wallace in their corner,” Roan said. “Then I went a bit deeper in it and I realized that you all, no matter how capable you are, are not able to do something like that on such short notice, especially when it took twenty very capable people over 2 years to do it.”

“We didn’t steal anything, there can be more than one person with the same idea as you, Roan,” Cage said.

“Marcus, I want you to know that the only reason I’m here is because I honestly think you had no idea and were tricked into doing this. If it was only him I’d be doing something much different,” Roan said. “You were always honest when it came to business stuff and no one ever thought or had to think of you as anything but. But if you don’t drop this thing I will sue you and ruin everything you’ve been working your whole life for.”

“We are not dropping anything,” Cage said. Marcus still silent and white as a sheet.

“I am not talking to you.”

“Let’s all just calm down,” Clarke said. She could understand why Marcus was the way he was in that moment, but if what Roan was saying was truth, she knew there was only one way out of it.

“You can’t prove it,” Cage was the one to speak again.

Roan sighed. “Marcus. Is Cage Wallace the one I have to be talking about this or are you still in charge of your own company?”

“We can’t drop it,” Marcus finally said, after what seemed like an eternity of not talking.

“Marcus I think we need to talk about this first,” Clarke said in horror.

“It’s too big for us to drop it. And if you haven’t went public with it you can’t prove we stole it. How could any of us know what you were working on behind the closed door?,” Marcus said.

“I can talk to the press. Show them everything and let the public decide if you have or haven’t stolen everything.”

“You won’t do that,” Cage said. “That would say more about your incompetence than anything else.”

“Marcus, I’m gonna ask one last time,” Roan said. “Are you sure that’s what you want and that that is the man you want to align yourself with?”

“That man is my partner and for all I know you are making things up as you go.” It was in that moment that Clarke knew there was no future for her there anymore. If there ever was any doubt about what she needed to do, Roan Azgeda made it all disappear.

“Okay. But you will regret it.” Roan got up and left without saying anything else to anyone in the room.

“He is bluffing, he won’t do anything,” Cage said after he left.

“Is he saying the truth?,” Clarke asked.

“He never went public with anything.”

“So he is,” Clarke expected a lot but that was one of the things she never imagined would happen. “Marcus, you need to call him and apologize. If he goes to the press then all this, everything you’ve done, will be for nothing. Don’t ruin your life and lives of many people working for you because of nothing.”

“He won’t do anything,” Marcus said and Clarke gave up on everything.

It was only an hour after when the news broke out. Arkadia stole from Roan Azgeda. Fifteen minutes after the building was surrounded with press. After another hour Cage Wallace dropped out of everything and seemingly disappeared from the face of Earth.

Even though Clarke had already made her decision, the events of that day made it a lot easier to make a transition from just thinking about it to doing it. She took a deep breath before she opened the door of Marcus’ office, much different situation both in her head and in his office than when she did the same thing earlier that day.

“This is a fucking disaster,” he said when he saw her. “What are you doing to contain it?”

“I’m not doing anything.” He looked like a disaster and his office even more, papers all over the place and a bottle of whiskey on his desk.

“I can’t believe that bastard did it. I can’t believe he gave all of his research to public and to the press. Why would he do that? Why did he not wait?”

“He tried to give you a way out,” Clarke said but it didn’t look like Marcus was listening to anything she was saying. He was too preoccupied with yelling about things that were entirely his fault.

“This will not end like this. And we will make sure Cage pays for everything he has done.”

“There is no more us, Marcus.”

“What?,” that got his attention.

“There is no more future for me here, not after today and honestly I don’t think there ever was.” After she said it, Clarke felt like the heaviest weight was lifted of her shoulders and she was finally able to breathe again without it pulling her down and laying heavy on her chest.

Marcus didn’t say anything for the longest. “I wondered how long it will take for you to go running to your girlfriend.”

“What?” His words beat the air out of Clarke’s lungs.

“Did you think I didn’t know about your little thing with Lexa? It’s not like you were really hiding it.”

“She has nothing to do with this.”

“Sure she doesn’t,” he laughed. “I never thought you’d turn out to be a quitter. I regret ever giving you a chance. You are the reason all this has happened.”

“No, you will not do that.”

“Excuse me?”

“None of this is my fault and don’t even bother trying to pin it on me. It was only you and your ego that drove this ship to the bottom of the ocean. I tried talking you out of it but you were so blinded with hate towards one person that helped you make all this that you didn’t care if you destroyed yourself in the process of trying to destroy her.”

“And now you are following her and making sure you destroy me completely.”

“I told you to not listen to Cage Wallace and I told you to focus more on Arkadia and less on chasing Lexa,” Clarke said. “None of this would have happened if you didn’t let your ego make your choices. And I’m not doing this because someone made me do it or convinced me. I’m doing it because being here is making me miserable and I don’t want to feel like that anymore.” Clarke looked at him, saw his mouth open but no words came out. “So I quit. You will have it on your desk tomorrow morning, I just wanted to tell you.”

Clarke left his office with her heart beating fast. She went down using stairs to get her blood rushing the way her heart was. She didn’t stop in her office she went straight outside. The sun was about to hide behind the horizon, it was already hidden behind many buildings but it was still there, reminding her of the light that was supposed to come tomorrow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She took the phone out of her pocket and called the first and only person that came to her mind.

“Hey babe, I saw the news, I was just about to call you,” Lexa greeted her.

Clarke smiled. “You’ll never guess what just happened.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any and all mistakes.
> 
> Come find me at ordinarklo.tumblr.com


End file.
